A surveyor is a professional person with the academic qualifications and expertise to assemble and assess all related information; To use that information for the purpose of ascertaining the cause and extent of a said damage, to provide due advice to limit further damage and to take steps to avoid similar damage on a future similar transport.
A surveyor inspects cargoes of seagoing vessels to certify compliance with national and international health and safety regulations in cargo handling and stowage:

Reads vessel documents that set forth cargo loading and securing procedures, capacities, and stability factors to ascertain cargo capabilities according to design and cargo regulations. Advises crew in techniques of stowing dangerous and heavy cargo, such as use of extra support beams (deck bedding), shoring, and additional stronger lashings, according to knowledge of hazards present when shipping grain, explosives, logs, and heavy machinery.
Inspects loaded, secured cargo in holds and lashed to decks to ascertain that pertinent cargo handling regulations have been observed. Issues certificate of compliance when violations are not detected. Recommends remedial procedures to correct deficiencies. Measures ship holds and depth of fuel and water in tanks, using sounding line and tape measure, and reads draft markings to ascertain depth of vessel in water. Times roll of ship, using stopwatch. Calculates hold capacities, volume of stored fuel and water, weight of cargo, and ship stability factors, using standard mathematical formulas and calculator. Analyzes data obtained from survey, formulates recommendations pertaining to vessel capacities, and writes report of findings. Inspects cargo handling devices, such as boom, hoists, and derricks, to identify need for maintenance.

• Damage surveys
• Cargo surveys
• Condition surveys
• Pollution surveys
• On/off hire surveys
• Bunker surveys
• Loss prevention surveys
• Tallies
• Hull and Machinery surveys