TVIB News

TVIB Certifies to the ISO 9001:2015 Standard with ZERO Nonconformities

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We recently took TVIB’s Quality Management System (QMS) and retooled the system into a single streamlined QMS to fully integrate the auditing aspects inherited from the purchase of Quality Auditing in 2016 along with TVIBs member services.  In conjunction with this effort the staff went through the rigors of upgrading the QMS from the ISO 9001:2008 standard to the ISO 9001:2015 standard.  With the upgrade in the standard we added the new elements required of the 2015 version to include Clause 4 – Context of the Organization and the increased focus in clauses 5-Leadership, 6-Planning, 7-Support, 8-Operation, 9-Performance Evaluation, and 10-Improvement.

We selected World Certification Services (WCS) Quality Registrars as our ISO registrar. On May 4th, we completed the Stage 1 Assessment with two action items to address.  On May 11th TVIB successfully completed the Stage 2 Assessment with ZERO nonconformities and were recommended for certification under ISO 9001:2015.

We are very proud of our staff for their efforts in bringing the two systems together and completing the certification audit with a clean record.  We stand ready to answer the needs of our Auditor, Surveyor and Supporting Organization Members.

SAFETY ALERT – Fuel Spray Fire

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Excerpt from the USCG Marine Safety Alert Number 06-17 published 06/06/2017

This safety alert addresses yet another fuel spray fire onboard a commercial vessel. These types of incidents, involving fuel leakages contacting hot surfaces and igniting, happen too frequently and have been a focus of various marine safety organizations such as the IMO for many years. One recent marine casualty involved a 194 GRT inspected offshore supply vessel with an unmanned engine room. This engine room fire led to significant damage, operational down time of the vessel and lost company revenues. Fortunately, no one was injured during this event.

Click here to review and download the full document.

USCG Policy Letter on the Use of Existing SMSs To Obtain an Initial Certificate of Inspection (COI) Under 46 CFR Subchapter M

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May 24, 2017

The Coast Guard issued the much anticipated policy letter for the use of existing safety management systems to obtain an initial Certificate of Inspection (COI) under 46 CFR Subchapter M. Following is an excerpt from CG-CVC Policy Letter 17-02:

POLICY. An owner or managing operator and a TPO of vessels choosing a TSMS option and seeking to obtain a vessel’s initial COI may use the following options as a means to provide objective evidence of a vessel’s use of an ISM-based SMS or Coast Guard accepted SMS as provided for in 46 CFR 138.225.

a.  Coast Guard accepted existing safety management system (Such as RCP)— with an audit completed within three years: A TPO may reduce the breadth and depth of the external management audit required for the TSMS Certificate. This may include only a sample of the TSMS elements to verify compliance. A vessel using this option must have been credited with a vessel audit and successfully completed a survey in accordance with 46 CFR 137.202(a) within one year prior to the date the vessel is scheduled for its initial COI issuance. The TPO must have objective evidence that the vessel is compliance with the applicable portions of Subchapter M such as documentation of an internal or external survey and an external audit. Also, there must be no outstanding major non-conformities associated with either the vessel’s audit or survey on the date the vessel is scheduled for its initial COI issuance. Consistent with 46 CFR 138.225(d), the OCMI, who will be conducting the initial COI inspection, must be able to examine the materials submitted by the owner or managing operator at least 30 days before the date the vessel is scheduled to be inspected to see if it contains objective evidence that non-conformities were identified and corrected.

b. Coast Guard accepted existing safety management system (such as RCP) —No audit within three years: If the owner or managing operator has been issued a TSMS Certificate, but the vessel has not undergone a safety management system audit, or the audit is beyond three years of the date the vessel is scheduled for its initial COI issuance, the TPO must conduct a vessel audit and confirm the completion of a satisfactory survey per Subchapter M regulations. The survey may either be an external survey performed by a TPO or an internal survey performed by appropriately-qualified in-house or contract personnel. An internal survey is subject to the verification of a TPO, but that verification need not include a visit to the vessel unless the TPO has reason to question the validity of the survey report or otherwise determines a visit is needed. Consistent with 46 CFR 136.210, 137.130(c), 137.202(a), and 138.225(d), the OCMI who will be conducting the initial COI inspection must be able to examine the materials submitted by the owner or managing operator at least 30 days before the date the vessel is scheduled to be inspected to see if it contains objective evidence that non-conformities were identified and corrected.

Click here to download the USCG Policy Letter in its entirety: CG-CVC Policy Letter 17-02