The Marine Warranty Survey (MWS) is a product of the offshore industry, arising out of the increasing complexity of operations that were being carried out from the 1970s onwards. Not only were these operations more complex, but they were also extremely expensive, necessitating an increased level of governance, surpassing what had so far been performed, to an extent, by class surveyors. The MWS is now an intrinsic part of offshore operations, and a valuable tool for both the assured and the insurer.

The role of the Marine Warranty Surveyor should not be confused with that of the classification societies and their class surveyors. ‘Class’ certifies that the vessel construction complies with the relevant standards and ensures continuing compliance by carrying out regular surveys of the vessel in service. It extends only to normal vessel operations and does not include the non-routine operations that the vessel might be involved in.

The requirement for a Marine Warranty Survey arises when:

• The assured has high value equipment and/or is involved with high-risk marine or offshore operations
• The assured has entered into a contract under which risk is allocated to them
• The insurer seeks clarification and comfort that the risks to which it is exposed are in accordance with acceptable standards
• The insurance policy includes a warranty or condition requiring MWS approval of specified operations
• An MWS could also be instructed to carry out a condition survey of an entered vessel if it is not IACS Classed or there are conditions of class