Emergency Response Service (ERS™)

24/7 shore-based damage control support to ships and offshore units via residual buoyancy, stability, strength, and drift predictions

Emergencies at sea strike unexpectedly and may involve risk to life, property, and the environment. In the initial hours of the incident the timely and correct actions by the crew to control the ship could make the difference between success and disaster. These actions will also lay the foundation for smooth and efficient incident handling further on. Understanding all aspects of vessel’s damage condition is a paramount for confident decisions and actions. Our ERS™ experts are there to help with evaluation of complex parameters and to give an advice when safety margins are beyond the rules requirements or when the crew may not have the necessary tools at hand or needs to dedicate its time to the immediate incident handling.

Emergency response situations

ERS™ provides critically important support when the survivability of the vessel is at risk following:

  • Collision
  • Water ingress
  • Loss of stability
  • Grounding
  • Structural failure
  • Prolonged fire fighting
  • Drifting of disabled ship, oil spill or ship related object in the sea
  • Bulk cargo liquefaction
  • Isolated vapour pockets on gas carriers

After the initial emergency phase has been resolved, our experts support the crew and company shore-based staff with evaluation and proposal of favourable loading voyage conditions for obtaining class and flag state permission to transit in damage condition to repair facility and for appropriate docking.

Benefits of ERS™

For every vessel enrolled in the service the crew and operator’s shore-based response organisation are able to:

  • Quickly access damage control support 24/7
  • Understand the criticality of vessel’s damage condition, even when the allowable safety margins of rules and regulations are exceeded
  • Have uniform understanding of the damage situation between the crew and shore staff
  • Verify their intentions and make confident decisions
  • Take early, specific, and effective actions
  • Receive support on planning the entire time span “from incident to repair yard”
  • Proactive handle the incident
  • Train operational staff and test own incident response plan
  • Comply with relevant and specific ERS™ requirements of rules, regulations, and requirements of authorities

Available for all types of vessels

Our service is immediately available for pre-enrolled vessels of all types without restrictions to class, flag, size, operational designation, and area, etc. such as:

  • Typical cargo ships (tankers, bulkers, container carriers, PCTC, gas carriers. etc.)
  • Special ship types (pipe and cable layers, crane vessels, seismic ships, etc.)
  • Passenger ships (PAX, ROPAX, ferries, etc.)
  • Offshore units (semi-submersible and ship-shaped)
  • Tall ships
  • Naval ships
  • Yachts

Support to everyone in need

Incidents at sea can affect and endanger any vessel regardless of it is enrolled in ERS™ or not, or whether the service is required for the ship type by a regulation. In addition to our renown merits of competence, expertise, and experience, we make our best efforts to help all vessels in need whenever possible. In an emergency at sea, time is of essence. While for pre-enrolled vessels all arrangements are in place and the help begins with the activation call, for non-enrolled vessels it will take time to get the tools ready. In the meantime, quick evaluation of the possible aspects of help are outlined to vessel operator company.

Be prepared

Take proactive action and subscribe to DNV ERS™ before the incident strikes your vessel or fleet of vessels.

Contact us

We are always happy to receive and answer your daily business calls, questions and requests. Contact our ERS experts.