Review of PSC performance is a useful benchmarking tool for ship operators as it provides the background and the history of each port and reveals key areas of attention in order vessels to be prepared for successful inspections.
In the analysis below, data from ten key ports, from Asia and Europe, are presented to demonstrate the PSC performance of world’s busiest ports. In 2017, PSC authorities conducted a total of 7,326 inspections which resulted to 202 detentions. (Table 1). The following indexes have been calculated for comparison:
- DPI: Deficiencies Per Inspection
- DER: Detention Rate
- DIR: Inspections with deficiencies rate (not clean inspections)
- FDR: Inspections with more than 5 deficiencies rate
The comparison of data reveals that Chinese ports and port of Piraeus have a detention rate above ports and global average, while the port of Rotterdam, Busan and Singapore have a detention rate below ports and global average.
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Another interesting outcome is relevant to the expected number of deficiencies per inspection. Thus, we may notice that in Chinese ports and port of Busan each inspection is expected to lead to 3 – 4 deficiencies, while Rotterdam has the half number of deficiencies per inspection.
Moreover, if we look at ports’ DIR, only European ports are below global average (Table 2). This leads to the conclusion that in S-SE Asia area, vessels will probably face inspections with deficiencies. Since this is indicative for the categorization of company and vessel (low, medium or high risk), ship operators should be very careful when arriving at these ports.
The two major categories of vessels type inspected are Bulk carriers and Container Ships, including more than 70% of total inspections (Table 3).
Analysis of the top deficiency areas during PSC inspections in the ports of our analysis indicate Fire Safety, Safety of Navigation, Life Saving Appliances and Pollution Prevention as key areas of attention, followed by deficiencies related to MLC (Table 4)
In this regard, guidance including a brief history of deficiencies, focus areas of each port as well as lessons learned from similar cases, shall be provided prior arrival in order to assist operators in preparing their vessels properly for a successful PSC inspection, minimizing the risk of possible deficiencies and detentions.
