Remote surveys will not replace physical surveys, says IACS chairman

Remote surveys will become more common in a post-pandemic world, but they will not completely replace physical inspection of vessels, according to a classification official.

In early July, the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) began looking at allowing remote surveys, which have been used regularly in the face of Covid-19.

The IACS has developed a set of standards to put remote surveys on par with physical ones, but chairman Nick Brown has made it clear that they will not serve as an outright substitute.