‘Restart your business with BV’, a new service launched in April by Bureau Veritas, addresses biological risks, as posed by COVID-19 and other infections, providing procedures and measures to protect passengers, company personnel and other stakeholders. As businesses world-wide resume operations it is vital that appropriate health and safety standards are put in place to help ensure confidence. BV has been working across many industries to help develop new requirements for clients, in order to provide assurance to stakeholders and regulators that the risks of infection and pandemic risk are being addressed. 

The new service for passenger ships includes a framework of standards based on audits and certification with assurance demonstrated by a new Bureau Veritas label, ‘SAFEGUARD’. The intention is that the label is visible and helps provide confidence to all onboard and in related operations ashore. 

The SAFEGUARD label demonstrates that upon the successful completion of a BV audit, it can be satisfactorily certified that the operator has addressed health, safety and hygiene requirements, has properly implemented necessary procedures, has trained the crew and all employees on board and has, as well, agreed procedures with ports and terminals for port operations. 

Speaking for CroisiEurope the Schmitter family said: ‘We are delighted to partner with Bureau Veritas for setting up the SAFEGUARD label. This certification confirms the efficiency of the health protocol our teams have been working on for several weeks. It will allow our guests and crews to stay in high health security environment for the restart of our cruises.’ 

Herman Spilker, Vice-President for Northern Europe of Bureau Veritas, Marine & Offshore, commented: ‘This customized service is helping CroisiEurope put in place and confirm that the measures they have established meet the required standards to provide confidence as they resume operations. This service is all about protecting people, fitting perfectly with our core mission as a class society, as well as our expertise in both seagoing and inland waterway passenger ships.’