PSC inspection

Q10.1.1:-Explain PSC inspection ,underline its authority for exercising basis of such inspection Enumerate relevant regulations, articles and annexes of SOLAS 74, load line 66, MARPOL 73/78, STCW 95 and tonnage 69 which form provision for PSC. What is understood by concentrated inspection campaign ?

PORT STATE CONTROL:- It is an inspection program under which all countries work together to ensure that all vessels entering their water are in compliance with strict international safety and antipollution standards. All countries share their findings with each other and the ships that are found to be in violation of laid down standards are detained in port, until their deficiencies are rectified.
    PSC inspection All ships in commercial trading need to be registered on country which identifies its owners. The country of registration is known as “flag state” it is the duty of the flag state to ensure all its ships flying their flag is safely constructed, equipped and maintained as per relevant regulations of IMO and ILO.

     But ship trade internationally and have to call at various ports all over the world and many ships may not call their flag state ports, so it makes inspection of ships by flag state to ensure compliance with rules regarding safety, maintenance, manning etc impossible so it is imperative that ships must be inspected at various ports to ensure compliance. This is termed as port state control(PSC).

All countries involved in inspecting ships will share their findings with each other. The ships that are found to be in violation of laid down standards are detained in port, until their deficiencies have been rectified.

 The objective of PSC is to detect and discourage owners from operating substandard ships that endanger not only the ships crew and the port, but also the environment.

   PSC inspection helps to minimize the threat to life, properly and the environment by disallowing substandard shipping.

The fundamental aim of the PSC is to supplement the inspections by the flag state and eliminate    sub-standard ships in order to ensure safer ships and cleaner oceans it includes boarding, inspection, remedial action and possible detention under the applicable conventions.

Port state control can be applied not only to those countries, who are party to the convention but also to the ships that fly the flag of a state that has not rectified a convention. Thus no ships are exempted from inspection because the principle of no more favorable treatment applies.

Any state may also in act its own domestic laws and impose additional nation al rules and regulations on foreign ships entering its water

KEY-ELEMENTS:-Key elements of PSC inspection are:-
1) Ensuring compliance with international rules regarding safety, marine pollution and threat to working environment.
2) Detaining substandard vessel till all deficiencies are rectified.
3) Implementing a initially agreed figure of annually inspecting the minimum number.
4) Applying a targeting system. Selection is such that well run vessels are not harassed where as blacklisted vessels will not be allowed to operate.
5) Harmonizing and strengthening to the greater extent PSC’s authority to carry out better surveillance.
6) Providing technical assistance and training, where the need is identified.
AUTHORITY:- Authorities of PSC are clearly defined under the following instruments of IMO:-
1) SOLAS 1974
 Regulation 1/19 ( chapter 1, regulation 19) – General provision/ control

 Chapter IX, regulation 6 --- Management of safe operation ship
 Chapter XI , regulation 4—special measures to enhance maritime safety
 Chapter XI, regulation 2 – special measures to enhance maritime security.
2) MARPOL 73/ 78
 Article 5 – Certificate and special rules on inspection of ships
 Article 6—Detection of violation and enforcement of convention
 Regulation 11 of annex 1 – PSC on operational requirement
 Regulation 16 of annex II -- – PSC on operational requirement
 Regulation 8 of annex III -- – PSC on operational requirement
 Regulation 13 of annex IV – PSC on operational requirement
 Regulation 8 of annex V -- – PSC on operational requirement
 Regulation 10 of annex VI--– PSC on operational requirement
3) LOADLINE CONVENTION
 Article 21:- Limitation of draught, to which a ship on its international voyage is to be loaded
4) STCW 1978
Article X – control regulation ( Rights of PSCO to ensure all seafarers have appropriate certificates)
Regulation ¼ -- control procedure
5) TONNAGE 1969
 Article 12 – verification of tonnage certificate
Although Tonnage convention is not a safety convention, the revision A787 (19) has laid down the guidelines for PSC. However the control provision of article 12 of TONNAGE 1969 does not include the provision for detention of ships.
6) ILO CONVENTION
Article 4 of ILO convention number 147 gives provision for PSC.

Concentrated Inspection Campaign:-

Concentrated Inspection Campaign are designed by several MOU members to alert owners visiting their ports in order to promote specific compliance with a convention. The purpose of this joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign is to ensure compliance with rules and regulations under    various conventions.

Every year a PSC Concentrated Inspection Campaign on an agreed topic by the major MOUs is carried out. In practice, the Concentrated Inspection Campaign means that during a regular port State control inspection the arrangements, maintenance records and other applicable    documentation related to agreed topics will be verified in more detail for compliance.

These campaigns normally last a period of 3 months and focus on a specific area of the ship. Eg.

CIC on Propulsion and Auxiliary Machinery,

CIC on on Hours ofWork and Rest,

CIC on Fire Safety Systems,

CIC on structural safety and the international conventions on load line

CIC Lifeboat Launching Arrangements

CIC to verify Safety of Navigation in compliance with SOLAS Chapter V.