The mission of ABS is to serve the public interest as well as the needs of clients by promoting the security of life, property and the natural environment primarily through the development and verification of standards for the design, construction and operational maintenance of marine-related facilities.

ABS is the third largest classification society in the world with a rich history of providing the maritime industry with excellence in standards, surveying, engineering, and research and development.

ABS' core service is the provision of classification services through the development of standards called ABS Rules. These Rules form the basis for assessing the design and construction of new vessels and the integrity of existing vessels and marine structures.

ABS Surveyors Worldwide

ABS surveyors, located in all major ports throughout the world, routinely 'attend' vessels to conduct periodic surveys and reviews, verifying that a vessel remains in compliance with ABS Rules. ABS engineers, located in ABS engineering offices in Houston, Genoa, Busan, Singapore, Yokohama, Piraeus, London, Rio de Janeiro, Shanghai and Manila, regularly liaise with ship owners and shipyards to provide guidance on the safety and the acceptability of proposed designs and/or repairs, based on ABS Rules. The sound judgment and professional experience of ABS engineers and surveyors are among ABS' chief strengths.

ABS Rules

The ABS Rules themselves are developed and approved through a technical committee structure. The result is that Rules are developed in collaboration with industry, ensuring the independence of the conclusions. Currently, ABS has over 30 committees ranging from regional technical committees to specifically-themed committees for subjects such as mechanical equipment and propulsion systems.

ABS Organizational Structure

A tax-exempt non-governmental organization (NGO), ABS has been commissioned by the US government and the USCG to act in many maritime matters that relate directly to the safety of life and property at sea. ABS also supplies similar services on behalf of more than 100 maritime flag States globally. But, by far, the largest body of ABS work comes from fleet owners themselves who contract with ABS for its expertise in classification work.

ABS is led by Chairman Robert Somerville and is parent to the ABS Group of Companies, a for-profit subsidiary supplying risk assessment and management systems services for marine and industrial clients.

The world headquarters as well as the ABS Americas Division headquarters for ABS are located in Houston, Texas, USA. The divisional headquarters for Europe is located in London and the divisional headquarters for Asia Pacific is located in Singapore.