Answer
The Cargo Ship Safety Construction (SAFCON) Renewal Survey is a rigorous hull and machinery integrity audit conducted every 5 years under the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC).
Core Structural Scope
Hull Structural Examination: Visual inspection of shell plating, framing, stiffeners, bulkheads, and girders inside ballast tanks, cargo holds, void spaces, and cofferdams to detect corrosion, deformation, or structural fractures.
Thickness Gauging (UTM): Mandatory ultrasonic thickness measurements on suspect areas and selected transverse sections of the hull girder to verify that steel wastage remains within allowable classification limits.
Hatch Covers & Coamings: Verify the structural strength, clamping devices, securing cleats, and weather-tight sealing integrity (via hose testing or ultrasonic tests) of cargo hatch covers.
Machinery & Systems Scope
Main and Auxiliary Machinery: Operational testing of the main propulsion system, essential auxiliary pumps, and a complete insulation resistance (megger) test of the main switchboard and generator blocks.
Bilge and Ballast Systems: Functional testing of bilge pumps, emergency bilge suctions, and non-return valves to ensure rapid dewatering capabilities during a flooding emergency.
Steering Gear: Complete performance testing, including power unit failure alarms, hydraulic system relief valves, and emergency local control operation.