Germany: First GL Certification for LEHNKERING According to TMSA

The first companies to be certified by Germanischer Lloyd (GL) as complying with the international Tanker Management and Self-Assessment (TMSA) safety standard are LEHNKERING Reederei GmbH and LEHNKERING Rhein-Fracht GmbH.

Both are part of the IMPERIAL Shipping Group. Following the successful audit, Dr Ulrich Ellinghaus, Head of GL Systems Certification Germany, presented the certificate to Hendrik Lorenz, Director Fleet Service of the IMPERIAL Shipping Group.

The Tanker Management & Self-Assessment was introduced by the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) in 2004 and has been based on a self-assessment by the tanker shipping companies. GL now has developed a corresponding certification programme that allows shipping companies to document their compliance with the standard after an independent review.

“The IMPERIAL Shipping Group has successfully implemented all elements of the TMSA standard, and can thereby prove that its personnel management, personnel qualifications in terms of navigation safety, safety management as well as accident investigations and improvement measures are all state-of-the-art”, Ellinghaus explained as he presented the certificate. The multi-day audits took place at the company’s headquarters in Duisburg and other places, including aboard 17 of the company’s tankers.

“Quality and safety have top priority at the IMPERIAL Shipping Group”, Lorenz said, reiterating the group’s standards. “This certification now also provides confirmation by an independent third party that we live up to these standards.”