Continuous Survey of Machinery (CMS) is a program approved by Classification Society in which the total number of survey items is arranged in order to provide for a survey of approximately 20% of the machinery each year during a five-year period.
The which should be machinery opened up for survey each year may be chosen by the owners and split evenly over the five years, in order to balance the workload, downtime and maintenance cost each year. CMS allows owners and operators to spread the costs and inventory of spares on board over a five year period instead of carrying out all inspections in the last fifteen months in the Special Periodical Survey system.
The Chief Engineer is responsible for opening up and carrying out inspections on certain items of the machinery listing on the Survey Status. The records of the Chief Engineer's inspection and an operational test by the attending Surveyor at a later date may be accepted.
For previously inspected machinery to accept by the attending Surveyor a Chief Engineer’s CMS Survey Report with required supporting documents and photos must be presented to the Surveyor for validation. Thus, Chief Engineers should keep records of inspection carried out to be used to credit machinery items at the next Annual Survey of the vessel.
Chief Engineers Continuous Machinery Survey Report should include:
- Ship's Name
- IMO number
- Flag
- Owner's Name
- Chief Engineer's Name
- Chief Engineer's License details
- Date of Survey
- Voyage details
- Name of surveyed equipment
- Condition found
- Details of overhaul/inspection/repair
- Repaired or replaced parts
Only one visit of the Surveyor during Annual Survey, or, other periodic surveys may be used to credit items covered by the Planned Maintenance system and inspected by the Chief Engineer since the last Annual PM Survey.
Below machinery items must be verified personally by the attending Surveyor:
- System Piping (All)
- Valves (All)
- Sea Chests
- All Operational Tests
- Fire Pumps
- Fire Fighting Equipment
- Main Engine Crankpin and Crosshead bearings
- All Safety Devices, Trips and Relief Valves
- Air Receivers with associated Relief Valves and Safety Devices
- Heat Exchangers and Unfired Pressure Vessels with design pressures over 6.9 bar (7kgf/cm2, 100 psi) and associated
Relief Valves - Steering Gear Piping, Pumps and Control/Relief Valves
- Steam Turbines
