How design, survey, testing and deliverables can fit a project certification basis.
DNV-ST-0378 (was DNV 2.22): Offshore Lifting Appliances
How DNV-ST-0378 is used for offshore and platform lifting appliances, and why design approval, Type Approval, fabrication survey, testing and product or unit certification are related but not interchangeable evidence.
By Peter Wang, COO · · Reviewed · 9 min read
DNV-ST-0378 is a DNV standard used for offshore and platform lifting appliances. The applicable certification basis depends on the equipment category, intended use and installation, class or statutory basis, contract and nominated edition. It may involve design approval, Type Approval, fabrication survey, testing and a product or unit deliverable in combinations defined by that basis.
This article explains the document’s role but does not reproduce proof-load factors, material-certificate matrices or certification shortcuts. Those must be checked in the contract-nominated edition for the actual equipment.
Practical application: see product / system design and engineering studies and analysis for a project-specific certification plan.
What ST-0378 covers
DNV-ST-0378 addresses offshore and platform lifting appliances within the categories and conditions defined by the nominated edition. Applicability cannot be decided from a short equipment or installation list: confirm the appliance function, intended installation, equipment category, class or statutory basis, contract and any SOLAS application provisions.
Where it is part of the agreed basis, the standard addresses relevant design, structural, hydraulic, electrical, control, fabrication, survey, testing and certification requirements. DNV-ST-N001 may separately form part of the marine-operation basis where nominated; neither document automatically replaces the other.
From DNV 2.22 to ST-0378 — the rename history
DNV Standard for Certification 2.22 is in the document lineage that preceded DNVGL-ST-0378, first issued in 2016 and later carrying the DNV prefix. That history does not make different editions interchangeable.
For new equipment, modifications or continued certification, identify the governing contract, class/statutory basis, original certificate and nominated current document. An older certificate may remain relevant to equipment in service, but its continuing validity and survey basis must be confirmed from the certificate and responsible DNV/class authority rather than assumed from this article.
Key design and material requirements
Design basis. Establish the applicable load cases, limit states, environmental actions, accidental cases and referenced standards from the nominated ST-0378 edition and project specification.
Materials and traceability. Inspection-document type, traceability, survey endorsement and component categorisation belong in the approved certification matrix. Do not apply EN 10204 3.1 or 3.2 universally from a web summary.
Hydraulic, electrical and control systems. Define the applicable pressure-system, electrical, control, safety and fatigue requirements for the actual appliance and duty. The required analysis and test scope depends on component function and certification category.
Fabrication and NDT. Welding qualifications, NDT method, extent and acceptance criteria must follow the approved fabrication and inspection plan and referenced standards.
The ST-0378 load combinations at a glance
| Load combination | What it covers | Where it bites for a compensator |
|---|---|---|
| Dead + live load | Self-weight and the defined lifted load | Part of the project load basis; use the nominated definitions and combinations |
| Dynamic loads from offshore use | Project-modelled support motion, dynamic response and transient events as applicable | Case-specific sizing inputs — see Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) |
| Wind, snow and ice | Environmental loading on boom and installed equipment | Exposed installed units and long boom-ups |
| Seismic | Platform-mounted equipment | Fixed-platform installations |
| Accidental | Drops, two-block events | Overload protection and shock-absorption ratings in the control system |
Use the limit states, load combinations and safety factors from the contract-nominated edition and project basis. Dynamic loads for the specific lift come from the approved analysis, not from this table.
NDT and testing
Testing and survey scope is defined by the nominated edition, appliance category, certification matrix and approved test programme. It may include fabrication inspection, NDT, functional testing, pressure testing, safety-function checks and a load test, with witness points agreed with the responsible certification body.
No universal proof-load factor is published here. The former factor bands and loose-gear values have been removed pending verification of the exact clause, edition and equipment category. Use the approved test programme and certification basis for the unit.
| Method | Detects | Typical use under ST-0378 |
|---|---|---|
| MT — Magnetic particle | Surface and near-surface flaws | Critical structural welds |
| UT — Ultrasonic | Volumetric (internal) flaws | Plate, forgings and welded sections |
| RT — Radiographic | Volumetric flaws, imaged | Selected primary butt welds |
| PT — Penetrant | Surface flaws | Non-magnetic materials |
Type Approval, design approval and unit certification
Type Approval and product or project certification are related pieces of evidence, not two universally exclusive routes.
Type Approval. A Type Approval Certificate demonstrates that a defined product type or design envelope has been assessed against its stated rules and conditions. It may reduce repeated design-approval work where the applicable scheme permits.
Product or unit certification. Where required, the delivered unit is still addressed through the applicable product-certification, survey and test process. DNV’s public guidance states that a Type Approval Certificate does not replace a Product Certificate where product certification is mandatory, and that intended installation and applicable rules matter.
Project-specific approval. A changed configuration, application or installation may require additional design approval or verification even where a Type Approval exists.
State the exact certificate type, scope, validity, limitations and unit/project deliverables. Do not describe Type Approval as an automatic shortcut past fabrication, test or installation-specific requirements.
| Evidence | What it establishes | What it does not establish by itself |
|---|---|---|
| Type Approval | A defined product type or design envelope has been assessed against stated rules and conditions | Certification of every delivered unit or acceptance on every installation |
| Product / unit certificate | The delivered item has completed the applicable certification activities stated on the deliverable | Approval of the marine operation or uses outside the certificate scope |
| Project / installation approval | The project-specific configuration and intended installation have been assessed to the agreed basis | Unrestricted approval of other configurations or projects |
ST-0378, shipboard standards and SOLAS II-1/3-13
SOLAS regulation II-1/3-13 has applied since 1 January 2026 to defined onboard lifting appliances, anchor-handling winches and associated loose gear, subject to its application provisions and exemptions. For lifting appliances installed on or after that date, the regulation requires design, construction and installation to recognised-class rules or Administration-accepted equivalent standards, followed by load testing and thorough examination before first use. Existing equipment has transition, examination, marking and maintenance requirements.
Applicability is not determined by calling equipment “shipboard” or “platform-mounted”. The IMO text contains specific treatment for MODU-certified ships, certain offshore-construction ships using Administration-acceptable standards, life-saving appliances and equipment below 1,000 kg SWL. DNV maps in-scope appliance types across DNV-ST-0377, DNV-ST-0378 and DNV-ST-0498.
For a vessel or offshore unit, confirm the flag Administration, class, vessel/unit status, equipment function, installation date and exemptions before selecting the standard and certification scheme. See DNV’s SOLAS II-1/3-13 overview and IMO’s entry-into-force notice.
How heave compensators are certified
A project-specific certification plan for a heave compensator may include:
- identification of the intended installation, equipment category, governing standards and nominated editions;
- an agreed design-approval or Type Approval scope and any application-specific verification;
- an approved material and traceability matrix;
- fabrication, welding and NDT plans with defined witness points;
- an approved FAT, pressure-test, safety-function and load-test programme;
- the product, unit, survey or project deliverables required by the contract, class and statutory basis.
The exact path is not universal. Type Approval may reduce repeated design assessment within its certified envelope, but it does not by itself certify every delivered unit or approve a particular installation.
For more detail on project dynamic loads, see Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF).
Project checklist: one compensator through certification
- Define the basis. Intended installation, equipment category, standards, editions, class/statutory and client requirements.
- Agree the approval scope. Type Approval, design approval and application-specific verification as applicable.
- Approve fabrication controls. Materials, traceability, welding, NDT and witness points.
- Approve testing. FAT, pressure and safety functions, and the applicable load-test programme.
- Close deliverables. Product/unit certificate, survey records and project documents required by the agreed basis.
The sequence and evidence are project-specific. A Type Approval can support the design basis but is not a substitute for required unit or installation certification.
Adjacent standards
The project basis may reference ST-0378 alongside other DNV standards, recommended practices, class rules, flag requirements, client specifications and regional regulations. Selection depends on the equipment and installation.
- DNV-ST-N001 — marine operations and marine warranty where nominated
- DNV-RP-N103 — simplified formulations for marine-operation design loads
- DNV-RP-N202 — heave-compensating systems, edition 2024-06
- SOLAS II-1/3-13 and MSC.1/Circ.1663 — onboard lifting appliances in scope from 1 January 2026
- Other standards and rules — as required by class, flag, contract and intended use
Where to get the standard
Use DNV Rules and Standards Explorer+ and identify the contract-nominated edition and amendments. This article intentionally does not reproduce unverified proof-load or material-certificate clauses.
DNV-ST-0378 — frequently asked
Is DNV 2.22 the same as DNV-ST-0378?
What proof load does DNV-ST-0378 require?
What is the difference between Type Approval and product or project certification?
Does ST-0378 apply to every heave compensator?
How does SOLAS II-1/3-13 affect lifting appliances?
Where can I get the current standard?
Related on Norwegian Dynamics
- DNV Standards for Offshore Lifting — how four frequently referenced documents can fit a project-specific standards map.
- Crane Load Chart — how approved dynamic-load inputs feed a crane-capacity screen.
- Dynamic Amplification Factor (DAF) — response-ratio concepts; the project basis supplies the applicable acceptance criteria.
Certifying lifting equipment to ST-0378?
Certification status is product-, configuration- and date-specific. Request the current certificate or project deliverable, scope, limitations and validity for the proposed unit. Do not rely on a general website statement as evidence of Type Approval, product certification or ST-0378 compliance.
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Offshore Lift Load Cases — ND benchmark figures
What a lift actually measures, with and without passive compensation, from Norwegian Dynamics' own time-domain simulations. It reproduces no standard — the value is the figures, which no standard publishes.
