Verifavia Shipping Undertakes IHM Services for 29 Attica Group Vessels

Greece-based ferry company, Attica Group has appointed Verifavia Shipping to provide Inventory of Hazardous Materials (IHM) services for 29 of its vessels. One of the first companies in Greece to apply for IHM certification, the addition of Attica Group’s ships takes the total number of vessels under IHM contract with Verifavia to more than 400.
 
Verifavia has already surveyed 27 of Attica’s ferries, with two more scheduled for early 2020, conducting IHM investigations in line with the terms of the EU Ship Recycling Regulation (EU SRR) and the Hong Kong (HK) International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. The IHM reports created by Verifavia are now in the final, class certification stage of the process.

The EU SRR applies to new EU-flagged ships and EU-flagged ships going for dismantling, and from 31 December 2020 will affect all existing EU-flagged ships as well as ships flying the flag of a third country and calling at an EU port or anchorage. The regulation prohibits or restricts the installation and use of hazardous materials (like asbestos or ozone-depleting substances) on board ships, as well as making it mandatory for ships to carry on board a certified IHM specifying the location and approximate quantities of those materials.

George Anagnostou, Chief Operations Officer, Attica Group, explained: “Verifavia has completed IHM surveys on 27 of our vessels, with two more scheduled for early 2020. We have been impressed by the service, which has been professional, thorough and efficient. As the first Greek passenger shipping company to initiate the IHM process, this clearly demonstrates Attica’s commitment to safe and environmentally sound practices at the end of our vessels’ lives.”

Delivered by its expanding team of HazMat experts, one of the largest in-house teams in the industry, Verifavia’s IHM services involve a process of document collection, onboard sampling check, and certified laboratory analysis, which is then developed into a report and shared with the respective class society for final cross-checking, verification, and certification. This process enables the identification of any hazardous materials that need to be removed when preparing the ship for recycling. In addition to the IHM initial survey, Verifavia can work with ship owners, managers and class societies to develop and implement a robust IHM maintenance procedure.

Julien Dufour, CEO, Verifavia Shipping, concluded: “Verifavia’s recently launched IHM services have been developed to complement the work done by class societies – ensuring that hazardous materials within the structure of a vessel are properly identified to prepare ships for safe and environmentally-friendly recycling. It is a stamp of approval for the expertise of our people and robustness of our approach that we have been approved by both Lloyd’s Register and RINA - two of the leading class societies - in quick succession. This has been further cemented by our appointment by Attica Group - it has been a priviledge to work with such a well-respected company that is so commited to its environmental standards.”

Approved by the Korean Register, ABS Group, Lloyd’s Register and RINA, Verifavia Shipping is in the process of being approved as a HazMat Expert Company by additional classification societies.