Ship Inspection Programme
Over 7000 ships have been inspected by the Club's dedicated team of experienced master mariners since the programme began in 1990.
The aim of the ship inspection team is to help raise awareness with respect to practices onboard that could lead to claims or affect safety. They use their own experience as ship's masters, while benefiting from good practices observed on the numerous vessels they have visited on the Club's behalf. If they see something of interest on one vessel, they may pass this on to the master on subsequent vessels for them to adopt if they feel necessary to do so.
The attached leaflets entitled 'Ship Quality Programme' and 'Ship Inspection Programme' (239 Kb pdf) explain the programme in more detail.
A summary of the data obtained from the programme was provided to all Club Members in the Ship Inspection Report (259 Kb pdf) published in August 1995.
Ship Condition Surveys
As well as ship visits the Club organises condition surveys to enable managers to determine whether entered ships conform to acceptable standards. These are completed on the Club's Survey Form (673 Kb) and are done on vessels for the following reasons:
- When ships over 10 yrs old are entered in the club, this can be either a pre-entry or a post entry condition survey.
- If after a visit by a club inspector, the inspector feels that the ship does not conform to the Clubs standards.
- Following a claim which could possibly have occurred due to a lapse in on board maintenance/management.
- If information is received from a third party e.g. PSC that the ship is below Club standard.
- If the ship changes classification societies, usually from an IACS to a non IACS society.
- If after a lengthy period of lay up ( 6 months or more) a ship is re-activated.
It is important to note that the condition surveys are carried out by independent surveyors appointed by the ship inspection department. The attached Survey Guide (33 Kb) explains in more detail the processes involved with the survey system.
Joint venture with Lloyd's Register
 There is an increasing concern about the willingness among PSC authorities in both Europe and the US to bring criminal prosecutions. Even minor breaches can result in fines of up to millions of dollars with management and seafarers liable to imprisonment for deliberate MARPOL violations or falsification of records.
The UK Club, in conjunction with Lloyd's Register, has undertaken an initiative to assist owners, operators and most importantly seafarers by developing and publishing a series of pocket checklists to help reduce the risk of Port State Control detentions.
The pocket checklists are designed to help Members achieve compliance with the requirements on safety and pollution prevention and to be prepared for port state control inspections, which are increasing worldwide.
More than 40,000 copies have been distributed worldwide with good feedback. Its size, lamination to facilitate use all over the ship and its easy-to-understand format are its key strengths.
Click Here to visit the PSC Detention page for more information. |
The ship inspection team
Left to right: Bill Mather, Christopher Roberts, John Dingle, David Wright, Anthony Watson,
Leslie Hesketh, Colin Legget, Karl Lumbers.
Click Here for biographies and contact details for the above.
It is important in a mutual club that each Member feels confident they are sharing their claims and premium with shipowners of similar quality. The ship visit programme and condition survey system is a way of ensuring this confidence is maintained.
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