Marine Warranty Survey (MWS)

RINA offers certification services for insurance warranty, commonly referred to as Marine Warranty Survey (MWS), for the handling, sea transport, and offshore installation of large/critical structures, such as fixed platforms, wind farms, subsea facilities (oil and gas pipelines , electric cables, or mooring systems), floating units (e.g., FPSO).

RINA, acting as MWS, verifies that the marine operations are planned, designed, and performed according to a level of risk that is consistent with the reference international standards and insurance policy clauses, and that is tolerable for the industry and for all the players involved. 

The main types of maritime operations that generally require the involvement of an MWS include:

• onshore handling 
• loading and transport on ships or cargo barges 
• offshore lifting by vessels fitted with cranes (Crane Barges, Heavy Lift Vessels) 
• offshore installation and pile driving 
• handling and installation of sea-lines and related completion works (trenching, tie-in and matressing). 

Service details

MWS services typically involve a combination of activities performed at RINA offices and on-site (both onshore and offshore) during the preparation and execution of marine operations. The certification of a marine operation includes a series of checks to ensure compliance with RINA Regulations, where applicable, or other internationally recognized codes and standards. 

Specifically, the checks include the following activities:

• Review of procedures and engineering documentation (such as calculation reports and drawings) aimed at confirming the correct planning and design of the marine operations.
• Audit of the marine spread, equipment, and tools used during the operations to verify their condition and suitability for the specific tasks.
• Inspections are conducted during the preparation of marine operations and a formal approval (the Certificate of Approval – CoA) is issued before the operation begins
• Finally, the surveillance is conducted during the execution of operations to verify they are carried out in accordance with the previously approved procedures. 

The team assigned to the service consists of engineers and technicians specialized in the relevant disciplines, with operational experience in the maritime and offshore sectors.  

Why RINA?

RINA has verified and certified maritime transports for decades (at least 20 operations a year) according to our in-house regulations, developed for this specific activity and kept updated according to shared experiences, lessons learnt, studies performed and the development of available technologies. 

Our services are recognized by insurance brokers and Flag Administrations as regards the issue of the authorizations they are competent for. 

RINA is also regularly involved in the verification of offshore projects, especially with regard to construction and installation activities, where we can provide a long list of references. 

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