MRQ, A subsidiary of German marine underwriters Lampe & Schwartz, is introducing the Octopus website that will feature profiles of quality-vetted private maritime security companies (PMSCs) and their operatives.
MRQ underwriter launches Octopus to vet private shipboard armed guardsMRQ, A subsidiary of German marine underwriters Lampe & Schwartz, is introducing the Octopus website that will feature profiles of quality-vetted private maritime security companies (PMSCs) and their operatives.
Shipowners are invited to provide details of their transits in areas in which they wish to retain armed guards and procure quotes for the services they wish to hire.Rather than providing a marketplace for PMSCs to showcase their wares, the solacution is designed to offer ship-specific risk assessment in 2,900 ports and 80 sea areas.
This comes as owners routinely place armed guards on board ships in search of reduced insurance costs, but needed to know the quality of the PMSC they were hiring as their relation can be only for the duration of the transit.
With no market guides in place, only a few lists, MRQ says its Octopus should mean lean administration when it comes to matching, selecting and contracting PMSCs, reports Lloyd's List.
Said MRQ managing director Sebastian Hons: "We guarantee to the shipping company that we have done the checks, but we can't guarantee the quality. We can only say, 'We did the due diligence, we checked them.'"