The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has issued a technical circular on the Issuance of Certificates and Documents of Compliance by Recognized Organizations.
Recognized Organizations (ROs) are authorized to survey Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) flag vessels for compliance with various national and international requirements and to issue the relevant certificate/document of compliance (C/DOC). The agreements between the ROs and the RMI Maritime Administrator (“the Administrator”) specify the details regarding the surveys to be conducted and the C/DOC to be issued. This Technical Circular supplements the information contained in the agreements.
The Administrator needs to retain a copy of each C/DOC that is presently aboard a vessel, even if there has been no change in the information from the previously issued
C/DOC. The Administrator will accept electronic versions of the C/DOC; provided the electronicfile produces an exact replica of the C/DOC format for printing and insertion in the vesselfile. If the Administrator must access the database of an RO in order to obtain anelectronic C/DOC, the RO must notify the Administrator when a C/DOC is issued orreissued. ROs that continue to provide a hard copy version of the C/DOC need only submit a singlecopy. The electronic C/DOC or hard copy, and any notification that a C/DOC has been issued or reissued, should be addressed to the attention of the Maritime Operations Department at the street address, telefax number, or email address noted above.
A C/DOC normally contains an entry for Distinctive Number or Letters. Port State Control (PSC) difficulties have been encountered when this entry has not been the same on each C/DOC, including the Certificate of Registry, and also on other shipboard documentation such as the Radio Station License. For this reason, only the Marshall Islands Official Number shall be entered as the Distinctive Number or Letter on a C/DOC.
SOLAS, International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
Initial Exemption Certificates may be issued without Administrator authorization in accordance with the following SOLAS Convention exemptions:
- certain tankships of less than 40,000 deadweight tons from the requirement to be
fitted with an Inert Gas System (IGS); - ships that are constantly engaged on voyages in warm climates*
from the requirement
to carry immersion suits and/or Thermal Protective Aids (TPAs); and - vessels that carry only ore, coal, grain, unseasoned lumber, non-combustible cargoes,
or low fire risk cargoes from the requirement to be fitted with a cargo hold fixed fireextinguishing
system.
In each instance, the qualifying factors for granting the exemption are clearly specified in the applicable SOLAS regulation. The initial Exemption Certificates corresponding to these exemptions may be issued by an RO, without Administrator approval, after verifying that the specified qualifying factors have been satisfied.
Exemption Certificates may be issued by the RO without Administrator approval at renewal, provided that the condition(s) for issuing the original exemption have not
changed.
IMSBC CODE, International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes Code
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Circular MSC.1/Circ.1395/Rev.2 provides a list of solid bulk cargoes for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system may be exempted, or for which a fixed gas fire-extinguishing system is ineffective, and for which a fire-extinguishing system giving equivalent protection shall be available.The RO shall advise the Administrator when an exemption is issued.
Furher information may be found by reading the technical circular below
Source:IRI
