Referring to Item 3. "Procedure for Suspension of Class" described in the previous NK TECHNICAL INFORMATION N0.181 dated 15 May 1996, you are kindly requested to confirm again the following:

1. In accordance with the initiative adopted by IACS, a unified procedure for automatic suspension
of class in the event of a special survey or recommendations of class overdue has been established as follows:

I) Classification will be automatically suspended on the day following the due date in the event of a special survey not being completed by the due date. In exceptional circumstances, Surveyors of this Society may grant a three-month extension, after the authorization of flag state bas been obtained, in cases where an application for extension of the due date has been submitted, to allow for completion of the Special Survey provided that the vessel is attended and the attending Surveyors specifies the new due date.

Ii) Classification will be automatically suspended if the vessel's annual survey is not completed within three months of the due date.
However, in the case of an annual survey, an extension of the due date will not be granted since a period of time to carry out the survey is already specified.

Iii) Classification will also be automatically suspended, if the vessel's intermediate survey is not completed within three months of the due date.
However, in the case of an intermediate survey, an extension of the due date will not be granted since a period of time to carry out the survey is already specified.

Iv) Classification will be automatically suspended if any outstanding recommendations and/or conditions of class are not fulfilled.
However, in exceptional circumstances, the Society may grant an extension in cases where an application for extension of due date has been submitted to allow for completion of the survey.

V) Classification will be reinstated upon satisfactory completion of the surveys due or fulfillment of the recommendation and/or condition of class due. However, the vessel shall be disclassed from the date of suspension until the date class is reinstated .

2. With regard to the above procedure, NK has stipulated that the period of validity of a Certificate of Classification which has been issued for a ship registered in the classification register is for five years for non-Japanese flag vessels(four years for Japanese flag vessel).
Further, the form used for the certificate until now has been replaced by a new form.








I) A new form certificate of classification will be issued for a ship which has been subjected to survey for classification during construction or not built under the Society's survey and registered in the classification register in accordance with the Rules of the Society.


Ii) The Society will issue a certificate of classification for a registered ship once a special survey has been completed in accordance with the Rules.
However, in cases where special survey has been extended, the validity of the certificate of classification may be also extended similarly.

Iii) Surveyors will endorse the new form Certificate of Classification when the Annual Survey (including Intermediate Survey) has been completed. In this case, surveyors will endorse an Addendum to Classification Certificate until a new Certificate of Classification is issued by the Head Office. The endorsed addendum is to be attached to the current Certificate of Classifica