Pocket checklist helps cut PSC detentions (Editorial - 4 November 2010)

Lloyd's Register and the UK P&I Club have produced the convenient and reusable ISM and ISPS Pocket Checklist.

Karl Lumbers, the UK Club's Loss Prevention Director, explained: "Our inspectors generally find that UK Club-entered ships exhibit and observe high standards in terms of structure, equipment, safety and maintenance and demonstrate a high level of seafarer skills across the operational spectrum.

"However, they are finding that Port State Control is focusing ever more closely on compliance with procedures. It is frustrating and expensive for owners of quality ships to fall foul of PSC for slight deviations from what is laid down in the manuals and compliance guides. This pocket checklist will help masters and operators to avoid fines and detentions for both technical and significant procedural and compliance shortcomings."

The most common deficiencies noted by Port State Control during 2007-2009 on ships classed by Lloyd's Register, related to maintenance of ship and equipment. Their inspectors found three and a half times as many shortcomings in this category as in any other.

Drawing substantially on the experience of the Club's ship inspectors Lloyd's Register has analysed this data, particularly in the context of the International Safety Management and International Ship and Port Facility codes which provide a key focus for Port State Control. The resulting ISM and ISPS Pocket Checklist is the fifth in a series of pocket checklists produced by Lloyd's Register and the UK P&I Club to help compliance with international conventions.

Previous booklets cover Port State Inspections, Life Saving Appliances, Marine Fire Safety and Marine Pollution Prevention. They are available from the loss prevention section of this website or Lloyds Register at www.webstore.lr.org.