As part of RightShip's vessel vetting service, we assess all nominated vessels against our Standard Vetting Criteria. This represents our minimum requirements for good operational practices, based on leading practices in safety, sustainability and seafarer wellbeing. We review and revise our standards periodically in line with our mission to improve safety and sustainability in the maritime industry.
During 2020, the standard Vetting Criteria for dry bulk, and tankers, tugs and barges was assessed and revised, based on customer feedback and the latest industry requirements and best practices. The revised standards came into effective from 30 June 2021 across all vets. These standards are now available below for our vet requesting customers to review.
Benefits of the standard
These standards provide the minimum requirements for delivery of due diligence on behalf of RightShip’s customers, and provide consistency for charterers, ports, terminals and owners. In addition, the updated standards are closely linked to the Safety Score rules.
While the vetting standards have been refreshed consistently in the past 10-12 years, this is a significant expansion. RightShip has added separate and brand-new sections for flag and class, ship structures, engineering, and a comprehensive section on human rights.
General additions to the updated standard
The revised standard extends beyond the previous standard from 20 assessment items to 50 items, including new sections for flag and class, ship structures, mechanics, and human rights.
We have drilled down further in terms of incidents and PSC performance and looked at operator performance in more detail.
We have tried to make clear binary failings. This means if a vet fails on one of these hurdles, the vessel cannot be recommended at all.
The new standard removes the grey areas and explains more about the standard of where an owner needs their ships to be in order to be eligible for recommendation
Where appropriate, customers can add more stringent safety or additional geographical criteria on top of RightShip’s Standard. However, the new standard provides greater clarity around the specific criterions that covers safety, the environment, human rights, operational excellence with the aim to create a unified standard for the industry. Any additional vetting criteria is defined with our vet requesting customers on a case-by-case basis and based on their specific risk requirements.