Thursday, 29th July 2010
27 July - Paris MOU Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Tanker Inspections
From 1 September 2010 member Authorities of the Paris MOU will start a concentrated inspection campaign to verify correct damage stability on oil tankers, chemical tankers and gas carriers.
This inspection campaign will last for 3 months, starting on 1 September and ending on 30 November 2010.
This CIC has been triggered as a consequence of previous inspections that showed tankers frequently sailing when not complying with damage stability requirements, with no means of assessing damage stability or sailing in a loaded condition not covered by the approved stability book.
In practice the CIC will mean that during every Port State control inspection of a tanker within the Paris MoU region, the stability information book and other applicable documentation shall be verified in more detail for compliance with relevant regulations.
Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) shall use a list of 9 selected items to verify critical areas for tanker stability.
Please click here for the Paris MOU CIC Questionnaire associated with this campaign.
When deficiencies are found, actions by the Port State may vary from recording a deficiency to detention of the ship until deficiencies have been rectified. In cases of detention, publication in the monthly list of detentions available on the Paris MoU web page will take place.
The results of the campaign will be analysed and findings will be presented to the governing bodies of the MoU for submission to the IMO.
23 July - Tokyo MOU Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Harmful Substances
From 1 September 2010 the eighteen member Authorities of the Tokyo MOU will embark on a concentrated inspection campaign on Harmful Substances (Marine Pollutants) Carried in Packaged Form in accordance with MARPOL Annex III, SOLAS Chapter VII and the IMDG Code.
The three-month campaign will start on September 1, 2010 and end on November 30, 2010.
During this period, member Authorities will inspect, with the resources available, as many ships as possible in conjunction with routine Port State control inspections. PSC officers will check whether;
- the ship has appropriate document of compliance (DOC) for carrying harmful substances (marine pollutants)
- the ship is provided with relevant documents and information corresponding to the harmful substances (marine pollutants) carried onboard
- emergency procedures to be employed in the event of an incident involving harmful substances (marine pollutants) are in place and crew awareness.
Finally PSC officers will ensure that harmful substances (marine pollutants) are marked, stowed and secured appropriately.
Please click here for the CIC on Harmful Substances questionnaire.
All deficiencies found, will be recorded by the port State. Action taken may vary from instructing the master to rectify before departure or within a certain period, to detention of the ship until deficiencies have been rectified.
All detentions will be published in the monthly list of detentions available on the Tokyo MOU web-site.
Concentrated Inspection Campaign 1st April - 30th June 2010 - South and Central America
We understand that the port State authorities in the region will be conducting a campaign concentrating on 'Safety' and on the 'Human Element'. The somewhat broad focus of the campaign makes it difficult to prepare for any particular aspect of an inspection.
Members should ensure that all LSA, FFA, and PPE are fully in order in case of PSC inspection. In addition Members should also ensure that the crew accommodation, galley, WCs etc. are in suitable condition for any inspection. Any work carried out during the port stay should be safe in all respects with permits to work issued where required.
It may be worthwhile contacting local agents for information on the focus of the inspections in the ports they cover.
With such a broad scope for the campaign Members should ensure that their vessels are fully prepared in all respects for PSC inspections in the region.
UK MCA gets Tough On hours of Rest
The contribution of seafarer fatigue to many incidents has been highlighted by the MAIB in recent investigation reports. It appears that the MCA have taken note and will be inspecting vessels visiting UK ports to ensure that hours of work requirements are being complied with.
The inspections will primarily be targeted at vessels with busy schedules and small crews. The inspections will compare the hours of rest records to vessel operating patterns in order to verify their accuracy. Evidence of company audits of the records will also be sought.
Significant breaches of the regulations may result in prosecution by the MCA enforcement unit.
Click here for the MCA press release.
Paris MOU: New Inspection Regime (NIR)Adopted by the Paris MOU at its Committee meeting held in Reykjavik, Iceland (May 2009). The New Inspection Regime (NIR) is the main element of Port State Control Directive 2009/16/EC. Commencing 1 January 2011 its purpose is to refine the targeting of poor quality shipping that will be subject to a more onerous inspection regime.
Targeting will no longer be based on a Target Factor but on a "Ship Risk Profile" (SRP). Ships will be categorised as High Risk Ships (HRS), Standard Risk Ships (SRS) and Low Risk Ships (LRS). A new element which will help to categorise a ship is the inclusion of the performance of the ISM Company. Companies will, as the flag and recognised organisation, be ranked.
Click here for more information on the NIR.
Click here for a European Maritime Safety Agency presentation on the NIR.
14 January 2010: AMSA Focuses on loading and securing of Containers
AMSA is conducting a focused inspection campaign from 1st February to 30 April 2010. The campaign is primarily concerned with container securing equipment.
Deficiencies will be required to be rectified by vessels and, should they prove serious enough, may result in vessel detentions.
Click here for AMSA Marine Notice 2/2010.
Click here for advice from BMT in avoiding problems.
Members with vessels carrying containers and calling at Australian ports should ensure that securing equipment onboard is fully functional and compliant with the vessel's cargo securing manual.
20 November 2009: USCG Top 10 Deficiencies
USCG have released a pamphlet outlining the top 10 Cargo Vessel Deficiencies they encounter whilst carry out port State control inspections. This may be of use to Members in preparing their vessels for inspections by USCG.
Please click here for a copy of the pamphlet. We apologise for the poor quality of the document.
19 November 2009: Paris MOU - New Inspection Regime
Members will be aware that the existing Paris MOU inspection regime will be replaced by the New Inspection Regime (NIR) on 01 January 2011. The purpose of the NIR is to refine the targeting of vessels in order that ships perceived by the MOU as poor quality will be subject to both more frequent and more in-depth inspections, whilst those regarded as quality ships will be rewarded with less inspections.
Paris MOU have developed a Ship Risk Profile calculator that will categorise ships as either High Risk Ships (HRS), Standard Risk Ships (SRS) or Low Risk Ships (LRS). Vessels will then be inspected at intervals associated with their risk category.
HRS - inspection interval 6 months
SRS - inspection interval 10 -12 months
LRS - inspection interval 24 - 36 months
There is a clear benefit to Members for having ships in the LRS category.
Members can get an early indication of how their vessels may be categorised by the NIR by visiting the Paris MOU website and calculating both their individual vessel risk category and their company performance.
Click here for the ship risk profile calculator.
Click here for the company performance calculator.
22 July 2009: Lifeboat Launching Arrangements - Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) - Paris and Tokyo MOUs
Further to our industry news item of 01 May, Tokyo MOU have produced a checklist to assist port state control officers during the forthcoming CIC. Click here.
The document can serve as a useful guide for Members' technical departments, and for their vessels, in preparing for the CIC. It clearly indicates the areas which are most likely to give rise to a detention i.e. the questions with an asterisk.
There appears to be a particular focus on crew understanding of, and the maintenance of, free fall lifeboat securing arrangements.
We would also take this opportunity to remind Members and seafarers of our DVD in relation to freefall lifeboat launching arrangements which may be accessed online here. This may prove to be of assistance in preparing for the CIC.
Paris MOU adopt new port State control inspection systemAt its 42nd Committee Meeting held in Reykjavik last week, the Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) adopted a "New Inspection Regime" (NIR), which will enter into force from 1 January 2011.
The NIR is a risk based targeting mechanism developed in parallel with the EU's 3rd Maritime Safety Package that will reward quality shipping with a smaller inspection burden and concentrate on high-risk ships which will be subject to more in-depth and frequent inspections.
Based on the latest developments at the IMO, the NIR will make use of company performance and IMO audit to identify the risk profile of ships together with the performance of the flag State and recognised organisation. A ship's past inspection records, age and type will all influence targeting.
The NIR will be accompanied by a new information system "THETIS" which will replace the current SIReNaC system, implementation will rely on the collection of port call information.
Click here for more information on the NIR and a summary of other matters discussed by the Committee.
Click here for more information on the EU's 3rd Maritime package.
01 May 2009: Lifeboat Launching Arrangements - Notice of forthcoming Concentrated Inspection Campaign
Paris and Tokyo MoUs have announced that they will be carrying out a joint CIC between 01 September 2009 and 30 November 2009. At every port State control inspection within the Paris and Tokyo MoU regions the lifeboat launching arrangements, maintenance records and other applicable documentation shall be verified in more detail for compliance with SOLAS Chapter III.
Click here for a copy of the joint press release.
17 February 2009: USCG - Marpol Annex VI Inspection Guidelines
06 February 2009: Blanking of Bilge Discharge Piping Systems in Port
9 January 2009: Australia - vessel criteria for port sate control
28 December 2007: Evidence of qualification of Ship Security Officer (SS0)
11 December 2007: IMO - "Code of good practice for port State control officers"
31 October 2007: US - Examination, Investigation or Boarding? USCG
20 September 2007: BIMCO - "Guide to prepare for Port State Control inspections in the USA"
12 February 2007: MARPOL Annex II
Guidance on the management of Port State Control inspections
LR Guidance on reducing risk of port state control detentions
BIMCO Guide to prepare for Port State Control inspections in the USA
