Inspecting and Reporting Biofouling and Antifouling Systems’ Condition during Underwater Inspections on ShipsAvailable to Purchase

This AMPP standard practice aims to provide a source of consistent information and guidance on best practices for meaningful and effective reporting of the biofouling and AFS condition during an underwater inspection.

The document provides a methodology for planning, conducting, and reporting the outcome of underwater inspections in terms of biofouling and AFS condition on ships.

Specific aspects related to in-water cleaning operations, damage surveys, repair surveys, security inspections surveys, or classification surveys, are not covered in this document, however, the requirements for biofouling and AFS inspection and reporting shall be applied to any of these types of UWI.

This standard practice is applicable to underwater inspections undertaken in any type of water, including seawater, brackish water, lake, or river non-saline/fresh water; however, as the majority of the world fleet constitutes sea-going vessels, terms such as sea water, sea chest, sea inlet, sea state, etc., are used throughout this document for simplicity.

This standard practice is applicable to underwater inspections undertaken by diver team or Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), however, for the purpose of this standard, terms such as “Diving” or “Diver” are used throughout this document and are applicable to both diving and ROV UWI.

Due to the broad variety in stakeholders’ requirements and the methodologies adopted by service suppliers involved in the process, the level of detail and overall quality of reporting regarding biofouling and AFS condition differ greatly.

This standard practice promotes the use of consistent reports ensuring that the quantity and quality of data gathered is comparable thus facilitating reliable analysis related to underwater hull monitoring.

It will provide users with a robust framework for planning and conducting UWI to allow meaningful and consistent reporting of biofouling and AFS condition. Standardizing the output of UWI across the industry will enable the use of comparable data to aid the monitoring and assessment of underwater hull condition.

The framework includes references to safety and environmental considerations, highlights critical components of different stages of the process, and provides examples of the level of detail, as well as the type and quality of evidence required during the reporting stage.

The intended primary users of this standard practice are the stakeholders directly involved in requesting and authorizing UWI, such as ship owners, ship operators and charterers, and the service suppliers who conduct UWI.