Marine Certifications

American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) From its foundation in 1862, promoting maritime safety has been the core commitment of the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). The mission of ABS is to serve the public interest by promoting the security of life, property and the natural environment primarily through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities. The responsibility of the classification society is to verify that marine vessels and offshore structures comply with “Rules” that the society has established for design, construction and periodic survey.

The classification process includes:

• the development of standards, known as “Rules”
• technical plan review and design analysis
• surveys during construction
• source inspection of materials, equipment and machinery
• acceptance by the Classification Committee
• subsequent periodic surveys for maintenance of class
• survey of damage, repairs and modifications

ABS is dedicated to providing leadership in the development of new technologies intended to improve the safety standards for the marine and offshore industries.