What is PSC detainable deficiency ?

Detainable deficiency is a deficiency that presents an immediate threat to the ship, its personnel or the environment, which renders the ship unsafe to proceed to sea.

A ship can expect to be detained when in the professional judgment of a PSCO i.e he considered unsafe to allow a ship to proceed to sea before the deficiencies identified have been rectified.　

A detentions order might include an instruction that the ship has to remain in a particular place or move to an anchorage or other berths.

It is difficult to say what is detainable deficiencies, however generally speaking, deficiency which directly affect ship, crew and environment safety shall be considered  as 'detainable'.

EXAMPLES OF DETAINABLE DEFICIENCIES:

1. Under SOLAS

• Failure of main propulsion, electrical, pumping, and steering
• Excessive oil leakage in E/R, lagging insulation contaminated by oil
• Absence non-compliance or poor condition of LSA equipment, fire dampers, ventilation dampers, quick closing valves, etc
• Absence, non-compliance of poor condition of navigational lights, shapes and sounds signals
• Absence of corrected charts and publications
• Absence or failure of mandatory navigational systems and equipment
• Absence or failure of radio communications systems
• Number, composition or certification of the crew not corresponding to safe manning certificates

2. Under load lines

• Insufficient stability or ability to calculate stability conditions
• Significant areas of damage/corrosion/pitting of deck and hull affecting seaworthiness
• Absence of poor condition of hull closing devices such as hatch covers and watertight doors

3. Under MARPOL

• Absence or poor condition or failure of OWS, ODMCS, and alarms
• Remaining capacity of slop tanks/sludge tanks insufficient of the intended voyage
• No oil record book or false record

4. Under STCW

• Lack of or insufficient crew member certificates/endorsements
• Inadequate navigational / engineering watch arrangements/personnel
• Competency of crew members not adequate for the duties assigned for the safety and security of the ship and prevention of pollution
• Insufficient rested watchkeepers for the first and relieving watch duties at the commencement of the voyage

5. Under ILO convention

• Insufficient food and portable water for the next voyage
• Excessively unsanitary conditions on board
• No heating in accommodations if ship operated in low temperatures
• Excessive garbage blocked passageways

Once the detention order has been placed on a ship, it is likely to remain part of the historical port state records for that ship and be displayed on the web for at least 3 years.