Use a PSC checklist to inspect ships in foreign ports whether they comply with international maritime regulations in the ship's operation, condition, and crew. It also includes reminders about essential items, such as the details required by SOLAS Ch III Reg 37.
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A PSC (Port State Control) inspection helps the ship captain and officers identify deficiencies in their vessels and implement corrective actions. The inspection ensures that the condition of foreign ships exceeds the expected level, and assessments have been made when they visit international ports.
The regulating body that sets the general criteria for inspection procedures is the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Some of these rules include ships:
1. The different types of PSC inspections
3. Advantages of a PSC inspection app
A PSC (Port State Control) inspection starts with a general assessment of several areas of a sea vessel. The Port State Control Officer (PSCO) checks the ship for deficiencies and verifies whether its overall condition complies with the regulations.
If there are no deficiencies, the governing body will issue a clean report to the master of the ship. If there are deficiencies, the inspector will report them and the recommended corrective actions needed to correct the errors. The inspection results are then recorded in the database.
If the PSCO thinks the crew has a deficiency with onboard operational requirements, additional inspections might be needed.
Here are the different types of additional assessments:
An initial inspection starts by checking if:
It assesses the overall condition of the ship and its officers and crew in different areas. The following items are included in a port state control inspection checklist of an expanded inspection:
The depth of testing of each item depends on the inspector's professional judgment. They are aware that a small error can jeopardize the crew and the ship.
It focuses on particular areas with high levels of deficiencies found by PCSO or new requirements in place. This inspection takes place together with a regular assessment every year for three months.
The risk areas it checks are similar to an expanded inspection. Where an expanded review focuses on the human element, the detailed assessment focuses on a relevant instrument.
The PCSO checks whether that specific instrument substantially meets maritime requirements. Any evidence that the ship, crew, and equipment do not meet the set criteria is a clear ground for a detailed inspection.
Some examples of clear grounds are:
The complete list of clear grounds is in Annex 9 Paragraph 6 of the Paris MoU.
A deficiency in a PSC inspection means a non-conformity to the regulations set by the PSC. If the inspector finds an item is deficient, he will tick the "Yes" box on the PSC checklist Form A. Then, in Form B, the inspector will describe these errors and the action code needed for compliance.
One or two of the following PSC inspection deficiency code will appear on Form B:
After fixing the mistake, either the class or PSC inspector will check and confirm the corrective action.
If there's no deficiency found after the inspection, the master will file a report following the company's filing system.
The captain and officers on board can easily pass port state control inspections by using new technologies. Lumiform, a powerful app and desktop software for audits and inspections, helps the crew quickly fix any deficiencies they find, prove the vessel's seaworthiness, and avoid costly delays due to non-compliance.
Profit from the following benefits of a port state control app together with your team:
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