LR Bunker Tips: Embracing the Use of Statement of Facts

A very taboo subject among surveyors is the use of a Statement of Facts (SOF). One of the first things I was taught as a young trainee surveyor was to never issue a SOF unless you had no other option and if you ever did have to write one, the advice was to keep it as short and brief as possible.

Unfortunately this advice is still well known and practiced by lots of different surveyors belonging to lots of different inspection companies around the globe. One would not be out of place to go so far as say it is almost a standard practice. Indeed we do have some exceptions, in both my career as a Surveyor and now as an Operations Coordinator, I do see certain countries where surveyors do issue Statements of facts more freely. (Greece, Turkey, UAE)

It is now time to change that mentality and we need a wholesale change in attitudes to the use of the SOF. We need surveyors to realise that they need to embrace the SOF as a useful tool to help them perform a survey correctly and efficiently, instead of something to issue as an afterthought as they try to disembark the vessel.

A common misconception is that an SOF can only be issued in the event of a serious incident occurring during the surveyor's attendance and that this will be referred to in the event of any claims being made. In reality an SOF can be issued by the surveyor for any reason they see fit.

A surveyor is usually appointed by the Vessel Owner/Charterer as their representative on board during bunker transfers and as such it is their duty to provide as much information in as much detail as possible to the client.

In a modern world where knowledge is the key to a successful bunker transfer, the more information we can provide to our clients means they have a greater understanding of what has happened and occurred on board. By giving this information to the client, we give them an informed choice on whether they feel it necessary to make a claim for the mentioned occurrences.(in most cases they don't)

In conclusion we need surveyors to understand that an SOF can be issued for absolutely any reason they see fit. We would rather see five separate Statement of Facts covering minor issues than miss the major Statement of Facts because a surveyor was unsure if he/she should issue one. They prove to clients that the surveyor has been attentive and diligent in their work and has been closely monitoring the bunker transfer in order to protect the client's interest.