Bob Couttie’s Maritime Accident Casebook

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As our shocking SOS items show, port state inspections can have an important function in ensuring the safety of seafarers and their vessels but there is another side to the story, as revealed in one response to a current BIMCO survey.

Says one of the survey’s respondents:”For some considerable time now the benefits to the shipping industry of correct port state control, have been overshadowed by poorly carried out inspections, conducted by poorly trained inspectors, conducting inspections at entirely the wrong time, without prior arrangement.”

Among the issues faced by ships masters is that inspections carried out in one region are not accepted in another: “Far East, Middle-East, Africa, Europe, South-America, and the US Coast Guard do not recognise any area but their own,” says the BIMCO respondent, “The worst instance I had of this was on a new Container vessel, less than one year old, still within the guarantee period, operating world-wide. In one four month contract I was inspected as follows, Far-East, Middle-East, Europe, US Coast Guard, and then South-America. As I am sure you will realize this was extremely time consuming for everyone on board, but especially for myself as Master.”

Bad timing of unannounced port state control inspections, too, can present potential safety issues. Says this particular master: “I had been on duty since 0400 for arrival, vessel berthed 0800, scheduled to sail at 2300, my duty would finish at 0300 the next day after the out-bound Pilotage, and sending communications. The vessel had been alongside all day, when an inspection could have been carried-out. The Inspector arrived at the vessel at 1730 expecting to carry out a full inspection. I informed him that all crew members who were on duty were resting after a full days work, and would be working most of the night. He would not accept this, and in the end I had a conversation with his supervisor on the telephone. I was asked to complete a paperwork inspection. This meant I did not have to call out all of the crew; but for myself I had to complete three hours of paperwork with the Inspector, and had no rest period before sailing. “Is this safe?… I can see no reason why the Port State Control in any port cannot make an appointment, and advise the vessel through the Agent on arrival, if and/or when they are going to attend. This coming up the gangway unannounced at any time of day or night is completely unacceptable.”

He also believes that poor training, inadequate on-the job supervision of new inspectors by experienced inspectors and the, sadly, all too familiar problem of attitude, “exercising their own ego, and flaunting the powers they have been given, rather than improving safety”, create problems that need to be addressed.

One suggestion he makes is particularly intriguing: “…ship’s Master’s do not have the right of reply when an inspection is improperly or poorly carried out; or carried out at completely the wrong time. I feel that, if Inspectors knew that Master’s could bring to the attention of the IMO through their Company or directly when they had legitimate grievances, this would go a long way to solving many of the problems, and resolving many of the issues that exist… If there was a Form that could be completed by the Master and submitted (only) after an unacceptable inspection, this would be of great benefit.”