DETAILS OF ACTIVITIES
The member companies of SQCA are classified into three groups; namely,(1) ship equipment manufacturing factories or facilities, ship equipment remodeling or repair factories or facilities, and ship equipment maintenance factories or facilities (limited only to internal combustion engines),(2) factories or facilities for manufacturing such legally designated ship equipment as navigation appliances, life-saving appliances and fire-fighting appliances, and (3) factories or facilities for repairing legally designated ship equipment.
The activities of SQCA may be broken down into those common to all member companies and those particular to each group of the member companies. Irrespective of which class a particular work falls into, SQCA will contribute to smooth implementation of the nation's inspection system, improvement of the product quality and quality control of the manufactured products for ship use, thereby promoting activities conductive to the development of member companies.
1. Activities regarding Factories or Facilities for Manufacturing, Factories or Facilities for Remodeling or Repair Work, and Factories or Facilities for Performing Maintenance
Regarding the factory or facility for manufacturing, that for remodeling or repair and that for maintenance for ship equipment (limited only to internal combustion engines), the Minister of Transport designates them as approved factory or facility, if they are found to satisfy a set of conditions. The conditions are that they own facilities and equipment specified by the concerned ordinances, and that they have sufficient organization and personnel for quality control and in-house inspections, and that they are regarded as excellent ones. Ship equipment manufactured, remodeled, repaired or maintained by the approved factories or facilities may be exempted from government inspections, but left to their in-house inspections.
These approved factories or facilities assume a great responsibility for conducting portions of safety inspections on behalf of the government. These factories or facilities are therefore required to maintain their quality control systems up to the legal requirements in satisfactory conditions and to adequately cope with changes in the economic environment and technological advancement.
SQCA conducts the following activities for these factories or facilities.
[1] Inspection Guidance Operation
The inspection guidance operation is explained below. SQCA's guidance technicians fully experienced in ship inspection conduct the guidance operations while visiting the concerned factories or facilities in close collaboration with the Maritime Technology and Safety Bureau of the Ministry of Transport and the District Transport Bureaus.
