Port State Control - Paris and Tokyo MOUs - Concentrated Inspection Campaign on Structural Safety and Load Lines

The Paris and Tokyo MOUs on Port State Control have announced that they will be running a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) from 1 September 2011 until 30 November 2011 covering compliance with structural safety requirements and the Load Line Convention.

Although the Concentrated Inspection Campaign is being implemented by the Member States of the Paris and Tokyo MOUs, it has been reported that States party to the Viña del Mar, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean and Black Sea MOUs will also be focusing on structural safety and load line compliance during Port State Control inspections while the campaign is running.

The Paris and Tokyo MOUs have advised that in the past eight years defects involving structural safety and load lines account for 15% of the total number of deficiencies. They further state that load line compliance, and the structural safety of vessels other than bulk carriers, have never been the focus of a CIC in the past. During the CIC, Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) will be inspecting documentation, loading instruments, hatch openings and the structural integrity of the hull, deck and bulkheads, and other areas covered by the Load Line Convention. A questionnaire detailing the additional areas that will be inspected by PSCOs when conducting Port State Control inspections during the CIC has been published by the Tokyo MOU.

If deficiencies are found, the action taken will depend on the severity of the findings. Serious deficiencies may result in the vessel being detained. Members are therefore advised to ensure that their vessels are suitably prepared.