CIC on Propulsion & Auxiliary Machinery

A Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on “Propulsion and Auxiliary Machinery” has been announced by the Paris MoU and Tokyo MoU and will commence on 1st September 2013.

The 45 Maritime Authorities of the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda of Understanding on Port State Control (PSC) will begin a joint concentrated inspection campaign with the purpose to ensure compliance with SOLAS Chapter II-1. The duration of this inspection campaign will be three months, ending on 30th November 2013.

Members should note that other PSC MoU’s will also carry out a CIC on the same topic during this period. During this campaign Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) will verify applicable documents and confirm the safety of propulsion and auxiliary machinery, especially the working order and maintenance of the main engines, auxiliary engines, auxiliary equipment and their related alarm systems and controls. Special attention will be given to familiarity of the crew with safety and emergency procedures with regard to these systems.

When deficiencies are found, actions by the Port State may vary from recording a deficiency and instructing the master to rectify within a certain period, to detention of the ship until deficiencies have been rectified. Members are therefore advised to inform Masters and Chief Engineers of the following recommendations in order to adequately prepare for a PSC inspection and to avoid the potential risk of detention.

Recommendations

The recommendations listed below address the requirements that will need to be satisfactorily demonstrated during the course of the inspections to be undertaken in this CIC:

•    Making sure that instructions and manuals for ship machinery essential to safe operation, are written in a language understood by the ship`s personnel.
•    If the ship operates with periodically unattended machinery spaces (UMS mode), demonstrating that the vessel has been provided with documentary evidence of fitness.
•   The Oil Mist Detectors or any other automatic shut-off arrangements for the main engine and auxiliary engines must be operating satisfactorily.
•   The protective arrangements for machinery to minimize danger to persons with regard to moving parts, hot surfaces, electrical shock and other hazards must be in place.
•   The propulsion machinery and essential auxiliaries will be checked for safe operational condition
•   There should be a satisfactory level of cleanliness of the Engine Room spaces and bilges. In this respect it is advisable for any machinery leakages either to be rectified or for an action plan for rectification to be in place.
•   The general standard of housekeeping is likely to be observed and this should be at a satisfactory level.
•   The PSCO might check the spares inventory (especially in relation to critical equipment) as part of the ISM requirements under the clause 3.3 (i.e. the availability of adequate resources)
•   The safe working order of the Main or Auxiliary Boilers and Boiler Feed Systems will be checked
•   The emergency sources of power and lighting should be in satisfactory working order. This may include testing of the emergency generator or batteries for their safe operation.
•   The bilge pumping arrangements will be checked and should be in good working order
•   The ballast and cargo pumping arrangements will be checked and should be in good working order
•   PSCOs may wish to witness an emergency steering drill and crew should therefore familiarise themselves with the operation of the equipment.
•   The inspector may also wish to witness an emergency operational drill in relation to the main engine for the same reason.
•   The record of drills record may be inspected for verification purposes and should therefore be maintained and kept up to date.
•   The PSCO may test the emergency fuel stop system for the main engines to confirm safe operation, and might check records for any maintenance
•   Crew working practices may well be observed to ensure familiarisation with the safe operation of the machinery and equipment on-board
•   Maintenance records/logs might be checked for verification purposes
•   Safety instructions (and posters) should be posted at the relevant locations for the safe operation of different machinery and equipment.

Members should note that most of the foregoing requirements are also requirements of the ISM Code.

Hours of rest and work under the STCW Convention and MLC are not part of this campaign and these are likely to be addressed in forthcoming CIC’s in 2014. Nevertheless it is recommended that the vessel should also be ready to show/provide related documentation on demand.