What is a Loss Prevention Survey?

A Loss Prevention Survey is a thorough technical inspection of a vessel designed to identify risks, safety deficiencies, and areas of non-compliance before they lead to an incident or claim. The goal is proactive risk reduction — providing shipowners and underwriters with an independent assessment of the vessel's condition and operational standards.

What is the difference between a pre-insurance and post-insurance survey?

A pre-insurance survey is conducted before a vessel is placed on cover, giving the underwriter an independent assessment of the risk. A post-insurance survey may be required after a claim or at renewal to verify the vessel's current condition and confirm that any previously identified deficiencies have been rectified.

What is a vessel warranty survey?

A warranty survey is required by an insurer as a condition of cover — typically to verify that a vessel meets certain standards before a specific voyage, operation, or period of insurance. Our surveyor inspects the vessel against the warranty conditions and issues a report confirming compliance or identifying outstanding items to be addressed.

What does new-building supervision involve?

New-building supervision involves attending a shipyard during the construction of a new vessel to monitor build quality, verify compliance with approved plans and specifications, and identify any defects or deviations before they are built in. West Marine Survey attends at key construction milestones and provides regular reports to the owner or insurer throughout the build programme.

Who commissions loss prevention surveys?

Loss prevention surveys are commissioned by H&M underwriters and P&I Clubs seeking to assess the risk profile of vessels they insure, by shipowners wishing to identify and address operational risks proactively, and by banks and financial institutions with a security interest in the vessel.

What happens if deficiencies are found during a loss prevention survey?

When deficiencies are identified, our report sets out clear corrective actions — prioritised by risk level — with recommendations for timescales and method of rectification. We can conduct follow-up attendance to verify that corrective actions have been implemented satisfactorily.

Do loss prevention surveys help reduce insurance premiums?

A well-maintained vessel with a clean loss prevention survey record demonstrates lower risk to underwriters, which can positively influence premium levels at renewal. More importantly, proactive risk identification prevents incidents that would otherwise lead to costly claims, operational disruption, and reputational damage.

Our Services

Loss Prevention Surveys

Proactive risk identification, independent vessel audits, warranty surveys and new-building supervision — to prevent incidents before they become claims.

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The most effective way to manage maritime risk is to identify and address it before an incident occurs. Loss Prevention surveys provide underwriters, shipowners, and financial institutions with an independent, expert assessment of a vessel's condition and operational standards — identifying deficiencies, recommending corrective actions, and verifying compliance. From pre-insurance risk inspections to new-building supervision, West Marine Survey supports every stage of the vessel lifecycle.

Our Loss Prevention Services

Pre- & Post-Insurance Vessel Inspections

Before placing a vessel on cover, underwriters need an independent assessment of the risk. Our pre-insurance inspections provide a thorough technical review of the vessel's structural condition, machinery, safety systems, and operational standards — giving the underwriter the information needed to make an informed underwriting decision. Post-insurance surveys verify current condition at renewal or following a claim, confirming that the vessel continues to meet the required standards.

Risk Identification & Corrective Actions

Our loss prevention surveys go beyond simple condition recording — we identify risks, assess their severity, and provide clear, prioritised corrective action recommendations. From structural deficiencies and machinery maintenance issues to safety management gaps and regulatory non-compliance, our reports give shipowners and managers the actionable information they need to address risks systematically and demonstrate due diligence to their insurers.

Vessel Warranty Surveys

Where a voyage, operation, or period of insurance is subject to warranty conditions, West Marine Survey inspects the vessel against those specific requirements and issues a warranty survey report confirming compliance — or identifying the items that must be addressed before the warranty can be satisfied. We cover all standard warranty conditions including trading area limits, cargo restrictions, and vessel condition requirements.

New-Building Supervision

Building a new vessel represents a major investment. Our new-building supervision service provides independent attendance at the shipyard throughout the construction programme — monitoring build quality, verifying compliance with approved plans and classification requirements, and identifying defects or deviations before they are incorporated into the completed vessel. We provide regular progress reports and attend all key milestones from keel-laying through to sea trials and delivery.

How We Work

01
Survey Planning
We review the vessel's documentation, class records, and previous survey history before attendance to focus our inspection on the highest-risk areas.
02
On-Board Inspection
A thorough, structured inspection of the vessel's condition, machinery, safety systems, and operational standards against the applicable requirements.
03
Risk Assessment & Recommendations
Identified deficiencies are assessed by risk level and accompanied by clear, practical corrective action recommendations with suggested timescales.
04
Follow-Up & Verification
Where required, we conduct follow-up attendance to verify that corrective actions have been implemented satisfactorily and issue a completion report.

Who We Work With

H&M underwriters commission loss prevention surveys to assess the risk profile of vessels before and during the insurance period, and to verify condition following a claim. P&I Clubs use our surveys to identify operational and safety risks within their entered fleets. Shipowners and ship managers engage us proactively to demonstrate due diligence, identify risks before they escalate, and support their internal safety management programmes. Banks and financial institutions with a security interest in a vessel require independent condition reports to protect their asset. In every case, West Marine Survey provides an objective, evidenced assessment with no commercial interest in the outcome.

We conduct loss prevention surveys across all vessel types: tankers, bulk carriers, container ships, RoRo vessels, offshore units, general cargo vessels, and passenger ships.

Recent Assignments

Floating crane collapse — casualty investigation
Damage to shore crane
Hatch cover condition survey

View more assignments →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Loss Prevention Survey?: A Loss Prevention Survey is a thorough technical inspection of a vessel designed to identify risks, safety deficiencies, and areas of non-compliance before they lead to an incident or claim. The goal is proactive risk reduction — providing shipowners and underwriters with an independent assessment of the vessel's condition and operational standards.
What is the difference between a pre-insurance and post-insurance survey?: A pre-insurance survey is conducted before a vessel is placed on cover, giving the underwriter an independent assessment of the risk. A post-insurance survey may be required after a claim or at renewal to verify the vessel's current condition and confirm that any previously identified deficiencies have been rectified.
What is a vessel warranty survey?: A warranty survey is required by an insurer as a condition of cover — typically to verify that a vessel meets certain standards before a specific voyage, operation, or period of insurance. Our surveyor inspects the vessel against the warranty conditions and issues a report confirming compliance or identifying outstanding items to be addressed.
What does new-building supervision involve?: New-building supervision involves attending a shipyard during the construction of a new vessel to monitor build quality, verify compliance with approved plans and specifications, and identify any defects or deviations before they are built in. West Marine Survey attends at key construction milestones and provides regular reports to the owner or insurer throughout the build programme.
Who commissions loss prevention surveys?: Loss prevention surveys are commissioned by H&M underwriters and P&I Clubs seeking to assess the risk profile of vessels they insure, by shipowners wishing to identify and address operational risks proactively, and by banks and financial institutions with a security interest in the vessel.
What happens if deficiencies are found?: When deficiencies are identified, our report sets out clear corrective actions — prioritised by risk level — with recommendations for timescales and method of rectification. We can conduct follow-up attendance to verify that corrective actions have been implemented satisfactorily.
Can loss prevention surveys help reduce insurance premiums?: A well-maintained vessel with a clean loss prevention survey record demonstrates lower risk to underwriters, which can positively influence premium levels at renewal. More importantly, proactive risk identification prevents incidents that would otherwise lead to costly claims, operational disruption, and reputational damage.

Geographic Coverage

French Atlantic Coast.
Available Worldwide.

Based in Nantes and served by an international airport, our primary service area covers the French Atlantic seaboard from Brest to Bayonne. We deploy worldwide 24/7 upon request.