Many things have changed in the past few months and not all of them good as we have learnt to cope with tragedy and a new way of living courtesy of the pandemic. COVID-19 certainly has a lot to answer for, but out of the situation that was forced upon the profession, a new way of surveying is fast emerging, particularly in the area of commercial ships and offshore assets. I refer to remote surveying, actually not new, but probably unimaginable to most of us just a few years ago; and a shock to the system of more traditional surveyors and those sceptics amongst us too undoubtedly. They are suddenly fashionable - the talk of the town it appears - and the pandemic has fuelled the latent demand for remote surveys.
Can a vessel really be successfully surveyed remotely? The answer is of course yes, but how detailed is a remote survey and what depth of information does it reveal to the surveyor who is watching on a laptop or tablet? I do not have the experience personally to be able to answer those rhetorical questions, but I know there will be members who can and who will fall on both sides of the debate. It would make for an interesting discussion. Whilst I can see the possibilities for commercial ship surveys, I remain more sceptical as to the surveying of yachts and small craft remotely. However, the fact that some of the ‘majors’ are seeing merit in remote surveying of larger vessels makes me think we must keep an open mind and take onboard their learnings and experience.
DNV GL reported back in March that they had completed over 15,000 remote surveys already. Obviously, they see the merit in working this way and the pandemic has driven their agenda. Further proof, if it were needed, can be found in four news articles published recently on the IIMS web site:
• Bureau Veritas completes a remote marine survey on LNG dual fuel harbour tug PSA Aspen
• RINA (Classification society) performs statutory and class surveys remotely
• DNV GL’s remote surveys surge
• Lloyd’s Register makes the case for remote surveys
So, do remote surveys mean the end of the marine surveyor? In my opinion, certainly not and far from it. But we are dealing with change on a major scale, the like of which has not been seen in the profession before. The role of the remote surveyor to look and interpret the data, to report and make recommendations on what he or she sees is unchanged. But for many I am certain being denied the opportunity to work in the open air and to get their hands dirty, surely some of the appeal of the job, will be sorely missed. Surely this outdoor freedom would disappear if the lot of a surveyor is to be sat endlessly at their electronic device observing remotely and then reporting? That has to be a game changer. Perhaps it will encourage people from a different background to seek opportunities in the world
of hi-tech remote marine surveying? Ultimately though, the surveyor must still understand what he or she is looking at or being shown through a smartphone screen. There can be no difference in that sense in terms of the required knowledge and experience. This means that the education of the next generation of marine surveyors remains the same, or does it? Those coming into the profession will need to learn new skills, apart from the ‘old fashioned’ technical ones, such as how to become an IT wizard, for that will become an essential part of the role. They will also need to understand the limitations of remote surveying, if indeed there are any.
The Classification Societies have reported a massive uplift in the demand for remote surveys. This flies in the face of the fact that the industry has been relatively slow in adopting new digital technologies and to its detriment.
To spell it out simply, conducting remote surveys and inspections means that marine surveyors do not have to be physically present on board a vessel or marine asset. This dovetails perfectly, of course, with the social distancing requirements brought about by COVID-19. Instantly one can see the health benefits by not putting the surveyor, or indeed the crew, in a potentially harmful situation. Instead, by using an online connection or video streaming link, the remote surveyor can provide support to vessels anywhere in the world with documentation, images, video and input provided by clients and crewmembers.
36 | The Report • September 2020 • Issue 93
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