Quality and safety

All barges, our own as well as those of the regular charter firms, undergo a strict internal audit two times per year. A checklist of more than 110 items relating to quality, safety, technical aspects, as well as crew and legal requirements, guarantees the highest possible degree of reliability and service.

Our ISO 9001:2015 quality assurance system applies unconditionally to the office work and activities on board all of the barges. In addition to the internal audits on board and in the office, we carry out various fixed daily, weekly and/or monthly (technical) audits and checks. Lloyd’s Register Quality Assurance performs an external audit two times per year as well as the periodic re-certification once every three years.

Simultaneously with the annual European Barge Inspection Scheme (EBIS) audit, carried out by the joint oil and petrochemical companies/customers on board each barge, the extensive system of procedures, instructions, checks and audits at ZwaansDelta, in the offices and on board, ensures a high level of safety and quality that is crucial in a sector such as inland barging.

Barge of the Year: the aforementioned system of checks, audits and reports, along with a number of other criteria, forms the basis for designating “Barge of the Year”.

Based on a broad range of measurement points, each barge is periodically evaluated by the fleet managers for one year.

The barge that has the best performance at the end of the year is designated “Barge of the Year” and receives a trophy, announcement on the website and a reward for the entire crew.

The prize was first awarded in 2016 and has the following winners:

• 2016: mts Delta
• 2017: mts Omega

Expansion and cooperation

Given the wide range of available cargo, we are always very interested in charter-based cooperation with professional inland barging entrepreneurs.