To carry out statutory services as a Type A inspection body
Belgian accreditation body Belac has accredited Bureau Veritas Inland Navigation Management (DNI) as an organization competent to perform the classification of inland navigation vessels and to carry out statutory services as a Type A inspection body within the requirements of the NBN EN ISO/IEC 17020:2004 standard.
DNI is an autonomous organization within the Marine Division of Bureau Veritas. And although BV's Marine Division is already certified according to ISO 9001 standard as well as to the standards required under the IACS Quality Scheme, the decision was taken to go further and to meet the standards initially required of delegated authorized companies by the Dutch inspection authority, Inspectie Verkeer en Waterstaat, and since then suggested by other Administrations.
This international standard imposes stringent requirements on inspection bodies, including strict criteria governing quality systems, organization, personnel skills, impartiality, confidentiality, equipment, and inspection methods. All these requirements must be complied with by DNI's head office in Antwerp and by its survey centers.
The scope of accreditation embraces inspections, surveys and drawings reviews for classification carried out in Belgium. It also includes statutory issues relating to compliance with relevant European directives, the Rhine Rules, ADN, and national regulations applicable to delegation granted by the Belgian administration.
Accreditation is granted for a pre-defined and renewable term. It is subject to the implementation of an effective mechanism for surveillance by the accreditation body in order to check that compliance is maintained. Assessments are carried out at regular intervals, including on-site evaluations of both organizational and technical compliance. Periodic reassessment of accreditation also allows for the potential of accreditation to be extended to include other countries, new services or additional regulations.
DNI also conducts specific internal audits for inland navigation activities, i.e., new constructions, vessels in service and plan approval. Each centre is audited every three years.
Source: Bureau Veritas
