Informing PSC of Defects

C24066 | 11 December 2024

Notice to: Ship Owners / Managers/ Operators / Surveyors

This Circular is issued to remind that Resolution A.1185(33) Procedures for Port State Control, requires that Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) should recognize that all equipment is subject to failure and spares or replacement parts may not be readily available. In such cases, undue delay should not be caused if, in the opinion of the PSCO, safe alternative arrangements have been made.

The procedures also state that where the grounds for detention are the result of accidental damage suffered to a ship, no detention order should be issued, provided that:

• Due account has been given to the convention requirements regarding notification to the flag State Administration, the nominated surveyor or the RO responsible for issuing the relevant certificate;
• Prior to entering a port, the Master or Company has submitted to the Port State Authority details of the circumstances of the accident and the damage suffered and information about the required notification of the Flag State Administration;
• Appropriate remedial action, to the satisfaction of the Port State Authority, is being taken by the ship; and
• The Port State Authority has ensured, having been notified of the completion of the remedial action, that deficiencies which were clearly hazardous to safety, health or environment have been rectified.

Examples of failures which could have avoided unnecessary detentions, if ALL the above actions had been promptly implemented include:

• Black-out (ME Lub Oil alarm) during river pilotage.
• Oily water separator out of order.
• Generator inoperative.
• Overdue hydrostatic testing of CO2 bottles.
• Sat C fault critical error, printer broken.
• S Band Radar inoperative.
• Manouvering of the lifeboat in the water was not carried out (due to the ship having just departed a piracy area)

Act now

Ship Owners / Managers / Operators / Masters should take note of the contents of Resolution A.1185(33), and ensure that regular checks are made to find defects before arrival in Port where a PSC inspection may occur. Any such defects which cannot be rectified prior to arrival must be reported to Class (DBS), Flag and PSC, as well as appropriate remedial actions being implemented.