As of 3 June 2011 Polish Register of Shipping (PRS) is accepted by IACS Council as a member of the International Association of Classification Societies. PRS welcomes its comeback to IACS with satisfaction. This comeback coincides with 75 anniversary of the Society.
With the new, clear, qualitative membership criteria developed and introduced by IACS in 2009 PRS membership became realistic. The process of verification of PRS against the new membership criteria covered a thorough examination of PRS capabilities, activities, organizational structure and quality management system.
Classification societies associated in IACS employ technical experts in the field of safety assurance and have supervised a huge fleet for decades, some societies for more than a century. These assets, i.e. pooled experts and accumulated experience are a great value in itself and an enormous potential for incessant improvement of safety. Undertakings and accomplishments of IACS members indeed affect safety at sea. Therefore, IACS membership is so important for classification organizations.
The period outside IACS was not lost time for PRS. Company reengineering, focus on quality performance, rule development based on scientific research as well as shipowners’ support stimulated further development and substantiation of PRS class identity. As an IACS outsider, PRS could see safety issues from a different perspective.
PRS re-accession to IACS coincides with IMO development of a new regime for safety standards that assigns a new role to classification societies. Through their rules, societies will have to transpose to ships the IMO standards defining the required safety level at sea. The new role will require a risk-based approach to the development of the rules. This is a challenge that class societies must face. IACS, as a forum for the cooperation of classification societies, will find PRS a ready partner to work and share in this important period for safety assurance at sea.
Anna Stajewska, Polish Register of Shipping (PRS)