【PSC】Port State Control CIC 2023 to focus on Fire Safety

◆Contents

[1] PSC CIC 2023

[2] Preparation in advance

[3] Detainable deficiencies noted by past PSC inspections relating Fire Safety.

[1] PSC CIC 2023

Tokyo and Paris MOUs PSC regimes will conduct joint CIC (Concentrated Inspection Campaign）for three(3) months from 1 September to 30 November 2023, and the topic is Fire Safety.

The CIC inspections will be applied for all ships and are combined with a regular PSC inspection. A ship will be subject to only one inspection under this CIC during the period of the campaign. PSC inspectors will use a predefined questionnaire to verify specific topics and areas relevant to the CIC.

Joint CIC by Tokyo and Paris MOUs is conducted annually, and the CIC topics for the next two years has been agreed as follows;

1. CIC on “Crew Wages and Seafarer Employment Agreement under MLC” in 2024.
2. CIC on “Ballast Water Management (BWM)” in 2025.

[2] Preparation in advance

PSC inspectors will use a predefined questions during the CIC. Total ten(10) questions are listed in the questionnaire, and if PSC inspector considers the vessel not comply with the listed important question(s), then the vessel may be detained.

The shipowner/manager should send the predefined questions and guidelines to the vessel and request the vessel to check all items carefully and feedback to the company with documentary evidences well in advance.

If the owner/manager have the opportunity to visit the vessel, they must be checked for ship’s compliance.

Some of the 10 predefined questions have a wide range of questions, it may be difficult for ship crews to determine whether the ship complies with all related questions.

In order to complement this, owner/manager should prepare past PSC deficiency records related to Fire Safety and share those records with their fleets for easy reference by the crew.

Please refer the following website for CIC questionnaire (including guidelines) and FAQs.

1. https://www.tokyo-mou.org/doc/Press%20release%20on%202023%20CIC%20on%20Fire%20Safety-p.pdf
2. https://www.parismou.org/system/files/QUESTIONNAIRE%20AND%20GUIDELINES%20CIC%20FIRE%20SAFETY%202023%20-%20TF%2042.pdf
3. https://www.parismou.org/system/files/FAQ%20CIC%20Fire%20Safety%20%28approved%20by%20MAB152%29.pdf

[3] Detainable deficiencies noted by past PSC inspections relating Fire Safety.

Please refer the following deficiencies noted by past PSC inspections.

✔ Fire dampers

✔ Ventilation

✔ Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions

✔ Fire detection and alarm systems

✔ Fixed fire-extinguishing installations

✔ Means of control (opening, pumps) in machinery spaces 

✔ Evaluation of crew performance (fire drills)

✔ Means of escape

✔ Fire pumps and its pipe

✔ Fire-fighting equipment and appliances

✔ Personal equipment

✔ Fire training manuals on board to be reviewed to be ship specific.

✔ Oil accumulation in the engine room and open buckets filled with oily waste.

✔ Firefighting equipment that was not readily available. (Examples include water-mist nozzles covered with plastic and tape, a fire-extinguishing main control panel that was turned off, and a CO2 storage room secured with a padlock with the key nowhere to be found.)