As the Port State Control’s concentrated inspection campaigns (CIC) on Safety of Navigation and Life Saving Appliances will start on 1 September 2017, DNV GL summarizes considerations on how to prepare for the upcoming inspections.
CICs are periodical inspections that focus on a specific topic and are carried out during routine PSC inspections with an additional checklist for a period of 3 months. The CIC on Safety of Navigation will be conducted by Paris MoU, Tokyo MoU, Black Sea MoU, Indian Ocean MoU and Vina del Mar and the corresponding checklist will normally be published 4 to 6 weeks prior the start of the campaign.
The general PSC inspection of Safety of Navigation, as part of the Safety Equipment Certificate, will be amended by the detailed CIC checklist and additional guidance by Port State Control Officers (PSCO). The checklist is not yet published, but DNV GL assumes that the CIC will focus on the main Safety of Navigation deficiencies of the previous years.
Based on DNV GL statistics from 2016, the following main deficiencies were found resulting in PSC detentions – these items serve as indicators as what to focus on for the upcoming CIC campaign:
- Nautical publication: NP out of date / List of radio signals missing or expired / IAMSAR volume old edition / ITU not updated / Notice to mariners not updated
- Charts: Missing, not updated or expired charts
- Lights, shapes, sound signals: In particular, stern lights wrong sector, inoperative or broken / Ship’s navigation lights arrangement not in compliance with COLREG / Flags poor or dirty
- Voyage or passage plan: Especially the passage plan for the last or next voyage is not available or not in compliance with SOLAS
- Magnetic compass: Especially the magnetic compass repeater on bridge / Excessive deviation in magnetic compass / Compass of lifeboat out of order / Deviation table not posted
- Voyage Data Recorder (VDR): Especially VDR showing alarm or inoperative
- BNWAS: Especially location of the reset button / Knowledge of audible alarms and visual indication
- ECDIS: Including training, familiarization, operation and documentation (MSC.1/Circ.1503 “ECDIS – Guidance for good practice” dated 24 July 2015 and AMSA Marine Notice 7/2017 “Guidance on ECDIS for ships calling at Australian ports”)
The Caribbean MoU will arrange its CIC for Life Saving Appliances from 1 September 2017. DNV GL statistics from 2016 identify the following main deficiencies found during detentions:
- Lifeboats: Engine could not be started / On/off load release system defective
- Rescue boat: Engine cannot be started or inoperative
- Launching and embarkation arrangement for survival craft and rescue boat
- Operational readiness of life saving appliances
Recommendations
DNV GL recommends to review the detention items described above, which serve as a good indicator of the focus areas for the upcoming CICs. Then:
- Familiarize with the questionnaire for the CIC as soon as they are published
- Inform the crew about focus areas
DNV GL also advises operators to join its online training session on 17 August 2017.
