Record the question the measurement must answer.
The report should begin with the commercial or technical decision, not with a list of readings. Examples include statutory noise-code evidence, a newbuilding or sea-trial acceptance check, an accommodation complaint, repair verification, a cabin-privacy investigation or a comparison between operating states. The decision controls the applicable basis, locations, vessel condition, metric, evidence depth and review path.
Project identity
Vessel name, IMO or project number, type, build stage, attendance location and date.
Decision owner
Owner, manager, yard, designer, consultant, attending surveyor or another named report recipient.
Measurement purpose
Compliance, acceptance, diagnostics, complaint, repair verification, baseline or monitoring.
Governing basis
Exact regulation, code, class notation, contract clause, maker criterion or agreed investigation method.
Do not describe a method as approved, accepted or class-required unless the applicable project document or reviewing party establishes that fact. IACS member societies set their own supplier and survey requirements; IACS itself does not approve service suppliers.
Freeze the spaces, conditions and responsibilities before attendance.
A defensible scope identifies the areas to be represented, the vessel or machinery states that can be achieved, the access constraints, the requested witnessing arrangement and the deliverable deadline. For repeated work, use a controlled location identifier so a future retest can return to the same receiver position and operating state.
| Field | What to record | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Requirement reference | Document title, revision, clause and agreed interpretation | Prevents comparison against the wrong limit or rating. |
| Report recipient | Named organisation and technical contact | Clarifies review and acceptance responsibility. |
| Space or test pair schedule | Space IDs, deck/frame, source room, receiving room and separating element | Supports traceable coverage and matched retest. |
| Operating matrix | Propulsion, generators, HVAC, doors, windows, loading and environmental state | Separates the measured condition from an assumed condition. |
| Witnessing and access | Required witness, inductions, permits, escorts and restricted areas | Reduces incomplete attendance and undocumented exclusions. |
Build a traceability chain around the actual measurement set.
The instrument section should identify every sound level meter, microphone, calibrator, analyser, loudspeaker, amplifier and reverberation source used for the reported result. Record make, model, serial number, relevant performance class, calibration-certificate identifier, calibration validity and any configuration that affects the result. Where field checks are part of the method or quality plan, record the check value before and after the measurement set and explain any out-of-tolerance response.
| Equipment ID | Make/model | Serial | Certificate / due date | Pre-check | Post-check | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLM-___ | ___ | ___ | ___ / ___ | ___ dB | ___ dB | Accept / investigate |
| CAL-___ | ___ | ___ | ___ / ___ | Reference | Reference | Accept / investigate |
| SRC-___ | ___ | ___ | ___ / ___ | Function check | Function check | Accept / investigate |
A valid certificate supports metrological traceability; it does not by itself validate the selected locations, duration, operating state, background correction, reverberation correction, averaging method or acceptance criterion. Those controls must remain visible elsewhere in the report.
Link every result to the vessel state that produced it.
Ship acoustic results can change with speed, propulsion loading, propeller condition, generator combination, thruster use, ventilation mode, doors, windows, occupancy, cargo state, berth activity, water depth and weather. Record measured or observed conditions at a resolution appropriate to the decision. If a target condition cannot be achieved, identify the deviation and do not silently present the result as equivalent.
| Run ID | Vessel state | Machinery / HVAC | Doors / openings | Weather / berth | Deviation or limitation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RUN-01 | ___ speed / berth / anchorage | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| RUN-02 | ___ speed / berth / anchorage | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Make the room result reproducible and reviewable.
For an onboard noise test, survey or monitoring scope, connect each space result to a location identifier, deck or frame reference, measurement position, date and time, operating run, instrument set, averaging period and reported quantity. State whether a value is an observed level, a corrected level, a maximum, an equivalent continuous level, a frequency-band result or another defined metric. Include the evaluation basis, comparison value and status only when the requirement is confirmed.
Recommended evidence order
- Purpose, applicability and exclusions.
- Vessel particulars, attendance details and responsible parties.
- Requirement and location schedule with controlled IDs.
- Operating-condition matrix and deviations.
- Instrument, calibration and field-check register.
- Results table with units, quantities and method notes.
- Comparison or compliance statement with a defined basis.
- Observations, limitations, corrective priorities and retest scope.
- Appendices containing plans, photographs where permitted and supporting records.
The IMO Code on Noise Levels on Board Ships includes a noise survey report format and mandatory maximum levels for specified spaces on applicable ships. Applicability and any project interpretation must still be established for the vessel. Use the IMO onboard-noise planning guide and the operating-condition checklist for the related planning routes.
Keep source room, receiving room and rating quantity together.
For ship sound-insulation or sound-reduction-index testing, identify the source/receiving room pair, separating construction, door and penetration details, room volumes, source positions, microphone positions, source-room levels, receiving-room levels, background levels and reverberation evidence required by the agreed method. Frequency-band results and the calculated single-number quantity should be traceable to the same controlled test pair.
| Pair ID | Source / receiving spaces | Separating element | Method and quantity | Background / RT control | Leakage or flanking observation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PAIR-01 | ___ / ___ | Bulkhead / deck / door / combined | ___ / R′w, DnT,w or agreed quantity | ___ | ___ |
| PAIR-02 | ___ / ___ | Bulkhead / deck / door / combined | ___ / R′w, DnT,w or agreed quantity | ___ | ___ |
ISO 16283-1 specifies field procedures for airborne sound insulation between rooms in buildings, and ISO 717-1 defines relevant single-number rating procedures. Their onboard use, the selected quantity and the acceptance criterion must be agreed for the actual vessel project. Do not relabel a laboratory product rating as a complete shipboard field result, and do not calculate an insulation rating from one uncontrolled sound-level difference. The ship sound-insulation technical guide explains the metric and method boundaries.
Show proof without inventing a customer, vessel or result.
When a real project can be disclosed with written permission, a first-party case record should describe the decision, scope, controlled conditions, evidence captured, limitation and outcome without overstating acceptance. Until permission exists, use the blank structure below. It is deliberately not populated with a vessel name, client, pass result or performance claim.
Problem statement
What decision or complaint triggered the attendance?
Controlled scope
Which spaces, test pairs, operating runs and exclusions were agreed?
Evidence captured
Which location, instrument, calibration, condition and method records support the result?
Finding boundary
What can the data establish, and what remains outside the measurement scope?
Action and retest
What correction, verification or matched retest was recommended?
Permission record
Who approved publication, which details were removed and what wording was accepted?
A blank case structure is not a completed project. Do not add a vessel, customer, class, flag, pass statement, turnaround time, testimonial or numerical improvement unless contemporaneous first-party evidence and publication permission exist.
Run a technical and commercial QA check before issue.
- The stated purpose, method and acceptance basis agree with the approved scope.
- Every reported result has a location or test-pair ID and an operating-run reference.
- Instrument serials, certificates and field checks are complete and internally consistent.
- Units, averaging periods, frequency bands, corrections and rating quantities are unambiguous.
- Deviations, untested spaces, inaccessible areas and environmental limitations are visible.
- Comparison statements distinguish measured fact, engineering interpretation and reviewer acceptance.
- Photographs, plans and customer identifiers have documented permission and appropriate redaction.
- The enquiry and report do not imply class, flag or regulatory approval that has not been granted.
This checklist supports report planning and quality review. It does not replace the controlling regulation, standard, contract, flag Administration instruction, classification society rule, attending surveyor direction or laboratory quality procedure.
Confirm the current controlling documents.
- IMO: ship noise overview and Code context.
- IMO Resolution MSC.337(91): Code on Noise Levels on Board Ships.
- ISO 16283-1:2014: field measurement of airborne sound insulation.
- ISO 717-1:2020: rating of airborne sound insulation.
Official source links establish document identity and scope; they do not establish that every document applies to a particular vessel or contract. Check amendments, flag implementation, class rules and project specifications at the time of scope confirmation.
Turn the checklist into a controlled attendance scope.
Send the vessel particulars, attendance window, report recipient, controlling requirement, proposed spaces or test pairs and the operating states that can be achieved. The scope can then identify the appropriate measurement route and evidence package.
Scope an onboard noise surveyScope sound-insulation testing