Our Standard for Surveying Pleasure Craft in Canada

Introduction

This document outlines the minimum standards for marine surveyors and marine surveying assignments for all employees and subcontractors of Lewis Martin & Associates Ltd. (Marine Surveys Canada). The profession of marine surveying is unregulated in Canada and there currently exists no known standard for marine surveyors encompassing all aspects of the profession. As such, there exists significant variability in the scope of inspection and the content of marine survey reports throughout Canada.

The three recognized marine surveying associations operating in Canada (International Institute of Marine Surveying, Society of Accredited Marine Surveyors, and National Association of Marine Surveyors) all provide some guidance applicable to specific areas of marine surveying, including guidance on minimum survey report content and ethics. Various courses are available from the United Kingdom and the United States, offering introductory training on how to conduct a marine survey. There are also numerous publications providing guidance on marine surveying practices, from various authors. Many of these publications contain guidance that is most often anecdotal and frequently contradictory.

The intent of this standard is to formalize the minimum expectations of marine surveyors employed with our firm, providing essential guidance that will help ensure a high degree of accuracy, consistent quality of work product, accountability, and the basis for ongoing development of the profession. This standard also serves to clarify for our clients and our peers exactly what can be expected from our organization when we are retained to conduct marine surveys for various purposes.

This standard is not intended to cover business operations and does not include proprietary information. Terms and conditions of employment, such as hours of work, time off, confidentiality are contained within specific employment contracts. Details of administrative and operational requirements and procedures are contained in the Workplace Safety Plan.

It is our sincere hope as an organization that the content of this standard is of value to users both within and outside of our organization, in the interest of promoting and maintaining the principles of integrity and self-governance. This document is intended to be evolving, and we are committed to providing ongoing support for its development.