BY MR. LAMBROS A. CHAHALIS : EX BUREAU VERITAS VISE PRESIDENT WITHIN MARINE & OFFSHORE DIVISION, IN CHARGE OF GREECE, CYPRUS, MALTA & BLACK SEA REGION.
PAST & PRESENT MARINE COLLEAGUES, USED TO PERSUADE ME THAT ONCE BV, YOU REMAIN BV FOR EVER !!! THEY MAY BE RIGHT AND DUE TO THE FACT THAT BV IS STILL IN MY FLESH, I AM ALWAYS FOLLOW OF WHAT BV IN GENERAL AND PIRAEUS OFFICE IN PARTICULAR, ARE DEVELOPING, FOCUSING ALWAYS TOWARDS SHIPPING SECTOR PROTECTION AND NEEDS SATISFACTION.
BUREAU VERITAS ( BV ), IS A WORLDLEADER IN TESTING, INSPECTION AND CERTIFICATION ( TIC ) SERVICES. ITS MISSION IS AT THE HEART OF KEY CHALLENGES SUCH AS SAFETY, HEALTH, QUALITY AND ENVIROMENTAL PROTECTION, AS WELL AS SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY. THE COMPANY’S PIMARY ACTIVITIES INVOLVE IN TESTING PRODUCTS OR MATERIALS, INSPECTING SITES / EQUIPMENT, AND CERTIFYING PRODUCTS AND SYSTEMS TO MAINTAIN GLOBAL STANDARDS. BV IS ONE OF ONLY A HANDFUL OF COMPANIES IN THE ( TIC ) SECTOR THAT OPERATE GLOBALLY ACROSS NUMEROUS INDUSTRIES, INCLUDING MARINE, INDUSTRY, COMMODITIES, CONSTRUCTION AND CONSUMER PRODUCTS.
BV IS A PIONEER IN TECHNOLOGIES AND THROUGH A WIDE RANGE OF EXPERTISE, IMPARTIALITY AND INSDEPENDENCE THEY FOSTER CONFIDENCE BETWEEN COMPANIES, PUBLIC AUTHORITIES AND CLIENTS.THAT BOTH BV AND CLIENTS ARE ENJOYING MUTUAL BENEFITS.
THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW DECADE BROUGHT A NEW REALITY ON A GLOBAL SCALE. THE CRISIS OF THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC WAS AN EVENT THAT ON THE ONE HAND COULD NOT BE PREDICTED AND ON THE OTHER HAND CREATED NOT ONLY A NEW REALITY IN OUR DAILY LIFE BUT ALSO IN THE AREA OF WORK.
BUREAU VERITAS GOAL WAS TO MAKE A COMPLEX WORLD LEGIBLE. HAVING NEARLY 200 YEARS OF PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCETHYEY KNOW HOW TO FAILITATEPROGRESS RATHER THANTO IMPEDE AND INCOMMODE BUSINESS.
SO, HAVING AS A PRIORITY TO SERVE AND MEET CLIENTS NEEDS, IN AN OPTIMUM WAY THEY CONTINUE TO TAKE PIONEERING AND INNOVATIVE INITIATES.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC BUREAU VERITAS HAS LUNCHED THE OPERATION OF SIX ( 6 ) REMOTE SURVEY CENTERS, MANNED WITH SPECIALISED AND PROPERLY TRAINED SURVEYORS WHO CARRY OUT A SERIES OF REMOTE SURVEYS, USING STATE- OF-THE- ART EQUIPMENT.
IN ADDITION, BV HAS LUNCHED A NEW SERVICE CALLED “ RESTART YOUR BUSINESS WITH BV “ WHICH AIMS TO HELP RESTART BUSINESSESS TO THE MOST SECURED STANDARDS. BV FOCUSSING ALWAYS ON TECHNICAL AND TECHNOLIGICAL PROGRES- POSITIVE DRIVERS WHICH, HOWEVER NEED TO BE MONITORED AND CONTROLLED.
MANY BV CLIENTS AT PIRAEUS AND ABROAD, USING THE BV’S NEW TECHNOLOGIES, THE SO CALLED, – SAFE GARD – , ENTRUSTED THE SOCIETY TO BUILT AND IMPLEMENT A SPECIFIC AND EFFECTIVE INFECTION PREVENTION MEASURING METHOD, FOLLOWING SPECIFIC PROCEDURES, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS COVID -19, RELATED TO BIOLOGICAL RISKS, AIMING AT SAFEGUARDING HUMAN HEALTH.
THIS METHOD IS USED BY VARIOUS PASSENGER COMPANIES, OF HIGH SENSE RESPONSIBILITY, WHO HAVE TAKEN ALL NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS FROM THE EARLY MOMENT THE COVID -19 OCCURRED, TOWARDS HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ITS PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS, IN LIASOIN WITH NATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH ORGANIZATION ( NPHO ).
THANKS TO THE NOW A DAYS TECHNOLOGY, CYBER SAFETY / CYBER SECURITRY, REMAINS AN IMPORTANT PRIORITY OF THE ORGANISATION THROUGHOUT THE RECENT YEARS TOWARDS WHICH IS WORKING ACCOMPLISING RESPONSIBLE PROGRESS. DUE TO THAT BV OFFER CLASSIFICATION NOTATIONS TO PROTECT THE SHIP, ITS CREW AND EQUIPMENT AGAINST ACCIDENTS AND CYBERATTACKS, SUCH CYBER NOTATION CERTIFIES SOFTWARE USED IN THE SHIP’S ON BOARD SYSTEMS WHICH SECURES DATA EXCHANGE BETWEEN THE SHIP AND THE SHORE. THIS NEW CERTIFICATION PROGRAMM COVERS ALL ON BOARD SYSTEMS AND RELEVANT EQUIPMENT.
CONCLUDING, A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF BV SHOWS AND STATES THAT 11550 SHIPS ARE CLASSED WORLD WIDE OF 135 MILLION GROSS TONNAGE, OUT OF WHICH 1200 SHIPS OF 45 MILLION GROSS TONNAGE OF AN AVERAGE AGE OF 14,0 YEARS ARE CONTROLLED BY THE HELLENIC, BLACK SEA & ADRIATIC ZONE.
FURTHER TO THE PREVIOUS, THE CHALLENGES IN SHIPPING IS TO SECURE SAFETY OF THE SHIP, CREW AND THE ENVIROMENT WHICH IS OF THE CRITICAL IMPORTANCE.
THAT’S WHY ENSURING SAFETY AT SEA, THE SHIP OWNER / MANAGER NEED TO ENSURE SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE, WHILE ALSO MANAGING OTHER IMPORTANT PRIORITIES TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE
THESE PRIORITIES INCLUDE OPTIMIZING THE ENVIROMENTAL PERFORMANCE TO MEET STRICTER INDUSTRY-WIDE ENVIROMENTAL REGULATIONS. THEREFORE OPERATORS SHOULD LOOK AHEAD, BY PROOFING THAT VESSELS FOLLOWING THE INTEGRITY AND DATA PROTECTION GUIDE LINES ARE IMPROVING PERFORMANCE.
BUREAU VERITAS IS SUPPORTING THE OPERATORS, THROUGH ITS CLASSIFICATION SERVICES TO BUILT A SAFE VESSEL ENSURING THEM THAT VESSEL MEET REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS IN ALL TYPES OF VESSELS, THUS ADDED VALUES ARE OFFERED TO THEM, BY ADDRESSING A VARIETY OF SHIPPING CHALLENGES, SUCH AS OPTIMIZING RISK MANAGEMENT, IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY, SUPPORTING ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS AND SALVAGE AND HELPING INSURERS MANAGE CLAIMS.
