Assessment of criteria of ship classification societies

ABSTRACT Shipowners, whether chartering out ships or using ships to carry goods, want their ships to sail safely in accordance with conventions and regulations. Shipowners must constantly maintain and repair the structure, engine and marine equipment of ships to ensure their seaworthiness. All these rely on the assistance of ship classification societies (CLASSs). With their reputation of fairness and profession, CLASSs offer ship surveys and audits to assist shipowners in safely managing their ships. CLASSs also follow current and future shipping development trends and provide international maritime organizations (IMO) and flag states (FLAGs) with information to safely operate ships in an environmentally friendly manner, thereby fulfilling their social responsibility to protect those at sea and the marine environment. This study utilized the decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method to assess of criteria of CLASSs and also investigated the practices of Taiwanese shipowners. The results revealed that the top three criteria shipowners considered when assessing CLASSs were emergency technical support service and timely response to accidents, membership in international association of classification societies (IACS), and surveyors’ adherence to the boarding schedule. A causal relationship diagram indicated CLASS technical ability as a cause dimension and shipowner operation cost as an effect dimension.