Tokyo and Paris launch Concentrated Inspection Campaign on Safety of Navigation

The Maritime Authorities of the Tokyo and Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control have launched a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Safety of Navigation. The CIC will commence on 1 September 2017 and run for three months until 30 November 2017.

The aim of the CIC is to check:

1. compliance with the applicable requirements of the SOLAS Convention,
2. the overall status of the vessel's navigation safety, and
3. the competency of crew involved in navigation operations.

Port State Control Officers will follow a questionnaire of 12 items which will be used to test the compliance of onboard navigation equipment, the qualification of officers and the proper maintenance and functionality of the equipment. A list of these questions can be found here.

The consequences of any deficiency range from a 'record and rectify' instruction, to detaining the ship.

Owners, managers and charterers should familiarise themselves with these requirements before the inspection period begins to ensure that they do not risk detention.

Each of the Port state authorities have announced particular emphases for their CICs:

1. the Paris, Tokyo, Black Sea, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Abuja and Viña del Mar MoUs, which cover the seas in Europe, the Indian Ocean, West and Central Africa and Latin America,  will focus on safety of navigation and ships' compliance with the applicable requirements of SOLAS Chapter V.
2. the Caribbean MoU, which covers states and territories with coasts on the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico, will focus on life-saving appliances and arrangements.
3. the Riyadh MoU, which covers the six Gulf states of Oman, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia, will focus on crew familiarisation for enclosed space entry.

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