Caribbean MOU launches CIC on enclosed space entry

The 17 Member States and 1 Associate Member State of the Caribbean Memorandum of Understanding (CMOU) on Port State Control will launch its fourth Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) with the purpose of ensuring effective procedures and measures are in place to safeguard the seafarers who are serving on board ships by checking all aspects of compliance with respect to Crew Familiarization for Enclosed Space Entry during a PSC Inspection.

This inspection campaign will be held for three months, commencing from September 1st, 2016 and ending on November 30th, 2016.

The CIC is designed to:

·         ensure that there is compliance with the requirements of the SOLAS, STCW, MLC and ILO Conventions as applicable;

·         ensure that the Masters, Officers and Crew are familiar with relevant equipment and have received training in carrying out their duties;

·         raise safety awareness among the crew serving on board;

·         ensure that the ship’s crew identify and understand the hazards associated with entry into enclosed spaces.

In practice, the CIC will mean that during a regular port State control inspection conducted under the targeting matrix criteria within the CMOU region will target aspects of compliance with respect to crew familiarisation for enclosed space entry and with the provisions of SOLAS and Chapter XI-1 regulation 7, STCW-, MLC- and ILO conventions. In addition, the CIC will include these check for vessels certified under the Safety of Commercial Vessels (SCV) Code, the Caribbean Cargo Ship Safety (CCSS) Code as well as those non-conventional certified vessels .

For this purpose, PSCO’s will apply a questionnaire listing a number of items to be covered during the Concentrated Inspection Campaign. When deficiencies are found, actions by the port State may vary from recording a deficiency and instructing the master to rectify it within a certain period to detaining the ship until serious deficiencies have been rectified.

In the case of detention, publication in the monthly detention lists of the CMOU web site will take place. It is expected that the CMOU will carry out approximately 200 inspections during the CIC.

The results of the campaign will be analysed and findings will be presented to the governing body of the CMOU for submission to the relevant IMO sub-committees.

Source: Caribbean MoU