Ship Inspections And Vetting Guidelines
1. Preparing for the Vetting Inspection
The onboard inspection can only be successful if the tanker is prepared for the
inspection. The inspector who is to carry out the inspection will start to collect
impressions from even before the time he takes his first step onto the gangway and
will continue to do so until he takes the last step off the gangway when leaving the
tanker after completing the inspection.
Almost all inspectors are former seafarers who from both deck and engine room
experience are able to assess a tanker. Most likely the first impression formed from
the time the tanker is sighted until the inspector's arrival at the Master's cabin will be
the strongest, although it will be subjective at this point. The inspectors will undertake
the inspection of the tanker looking for objective criteria by which to judge the tanker.
It is a fact of life that, however subconscious the urge may be, the inspector will look
for objective evidence to support his initial subjective opinion. Thus the importance of
the route from ship side to Master's cabin should not be underestimated. Remember
you do not get a second chance to make a first impression.
Make sure that the inspection is scheduled at a convenient time for the vessel, so it
does not conflict with other inspections or similar matters. This could easily be
arranged through the port agent.
Make sure that each head of department has completed his own inspection before
arrival at port and that any deficiencies have been reported / corrected. This should
be incorporated into the normal routine guidelines.
An effective way of administering this is to introduce a Self-Assessment form
covering the relevant areas.
The next layer in this table is the delegation given to petty officers and in turn, to the
rest of the crew, this will achieve an understanding all the way down through the
ranks.
Prior to the inspection preparations can be made in certain areas
The inspector may need to have a copy of the following:
Classification Document
Certificate of Registry
Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate
Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate
Safety Radiotelegraphy Certificate
Load Line Certificate
IMO Certificate of Fitness
IOPP Certificate & Supplement
Certificate of Financial Responsibility
A Crew List
A Drawing of the vessel's cargo tank arrangement
Vessel's Safe Manning Document
The following should be available for Inspection (some are not applicable to all
vessels):
Masters should lay out the certificates in the same order as they appear in the
VPQ/VIQ. This saves time and creates a good impression of ordered preparation.
Officer's Licenses
Health Certificates
P&A Manual
Approved COW Manual
Approved Ballast Manual
Oil / Cargo record book
Oil transfer procedures
Garbage log for compliance with MARPOL Annex V
Proof of cargo hose / piping testing
Proof of fixed and portable fire fighting equipment servicing
Proof of professional servicing of breathing apparatus
Proof of life raft servicing
Settings for vessel's PV valves
Shipping document and cargo manifest
Certificate of inhabitation or stabilization of cargo
Declaration of Inspection if transferring bunkers
Cargo Information Cards for the cargo on board
Inert Gas Manual
Waiver Letters, if any
Vessel Response Plan
Safety Manual
Vessel Operation Manual
Company's policy for upgrading and training.
Be prepared to calibrate and / or demonstrate the proper operation of:
Combustible gas detectors or fixed gas detection system
Oxygen analyser
Toxic gas detector
Overboard discharge monitor
Cargo pump Emergency shutdown and bearing alarms
High level alarms
Overfill alarms
Quick closing valves
Be prepared to demonstrate the proper operation of the following systems/alarms:
Inert Gas system alarms
Oily water separator
Fire fighting systems
Steering gear
Emergency generator
Engine room ventilation shutdowns
Fuel oil cut-off valve
In addition, the following items may be checked and should be ready:
Firemen's outfits
International shore connection
Navigation equipment
Charts, publications, and corrections
EPIRB, pyrotechnics and hydrostatic releases
Flame screens, bunker tanks
Suitable paint locker
Marine sanitation device
Reference should also be made to the particular requirements of the oil major
inspecting the vessel. The following items are of vital importance as these provide an
overall impression of the vessel, and will play an essential part in how the inspection
will be conducted.
a. Gangway: Correctly arranged - is the gangway net rigged? Is there a life ring
nearby?
b. Signs: All warning signs posted
c. Crew: All crew working on deck should have hard hats and the necessary
protection gear.
d. Deck Watch: Is he present in the area? Hard hat, emergency equipment handy,
necessary for cargo loading / discharging; walkie-talkie; ask the inspector who he is
and who he wants to see; confirm with Duty Officer that this is OK. One crew member
should follow the inspector to the ship office
e. Fire Equipment at the Manifold: Correctly rigged and present
f. Deck: Clean, free of oil / water and obstructions
g. Scuppers: Blocked, emergency pump in position and discharge connected
h. Cargo Information: Make sure that all personel involved in the cargo operation are
briefed regarding what cargoes are being loaded / discharged, particularly the deck
watch. All MSDS to be up and easily readable
i. Emergency Equipment: Working, present and clearly marked
j. Moorings: In good order, no lines on the winch ends
k. Accomodation: All doors closed, clean, and in proper order
2. The Inspection
You do not pass or fail a vetting inspection!
However you can be well prepared, make sure that the inspector is accompanied on
the vessel during the inspection. The best people to do this would be the Master,
Chief Engineer, Chief Officer and the First Assistant Engineer (Second Engineer),
who can divide the areas of inspection amongst themselves.
Normally, the inspector will start by checking all certificates and documentation with
the Master. He will then move into the areas listed opposite. However, it must be
remembered that the order and schedule of the inspection can be changed to
achieve less disturbance to the normal operations onboard. The inspector will have a
pre-planned inspection format, which he will wish to follow, though there is nothing to
stop different sections being done in a different order. With the new OCIMF VPQ,
much of the date referring to the tanker will have been completed in advance. Make
sure that you have a completed up-to-date copy available for the inspector as this will
save much time.
Some of the most common deficiencies found in the following areas:
Bridge and Radio Room
Passage plan only pilot to pilot. Ensure that the filed passage plan covers berth to
berth navigation
Missing publications or old editions onboard when new publications have been
issued
Missing Master's standing orders and night order book
No logs for gyro error
No entry of position on the navigation chart during transit of pilotage to berth
Chart corrections not logged correctly
Cargo Control Room and Tank Deck
No cargo / ballast plan available
Hydraulic leaks on deck
Officers and ratings not wearing hard hats on deck
No screens inside the vents for the ballast tanks
No calibration gas for gas detection instruments
Crew not wearing personal protection gear
No policy for entering tanks
Engine Room and Steering Gear
No procedures or instructions posted for foam system
Emergency steering procedures not posted properly in steering gear room
Hot work procedures not used or not present in the manuals
No safety guidelines available for engine room / workshop welding equipment
No eye protection warning notices posted for engine workshop machinery
No clean goggles by grinders and lathes
Accommodation / Galley
Untidy
Overhead ventilation greasy - fire hazard
Accommodation ventilators with no identification labels
ISPS Code
It is worth mentioning the ISPS/MTSA code in this context, as it is important to be
aware that whilst certain parts of the ships "may" for whatever reason be secured
areas this should not stop the vetting inspector from been given access to these
areas but the inspector should be accompanied by a member of the ships staff.
3. The Close Out Meeting
All inspectors should sit down and discuss observations and comments after the
inspection is completed. If not, the Master should record a written objection that this
has not taken place and inform his company immediately
The inspector gives the Master a written list of the observations found.
Correct all observations as soon as possible
Send the report to the head office or department in charge
Complete the Inspector Feedback Form and send it together with the report (a copy
is to be found at the back of this booklet)
The Master must demand a copy of these findings in writing so that should there be a
change between what is said in the Master's cabin and what appears in the report,
this can be taken up later by the company ashore.
When the Inspector is discussing with the Master the issues that he has found, it is
quite often possible that there has been a misunderstanding or that the Inspector has
become confused with another ship that he has recently done. At this point in time, it
is relatively easy for such an error to be cleared up and the Master should take every
step to achieve this. In addition, the Master should not feel intimidated by the
inspector; this is of course easier said than done, particularly if the Master feels that
he has less English skills than the Inspector in front of him. It is unlikely that the
Master will be able to get the Inspector to delete a finding or an observation, even if it
has been fixed, (though this should be included in the report). On the other hand, he
should be able to get additional comments added which mitigate the finding or
explain why it is the case.
As an example, the Inspector may find that there is a large bubble in the magnetic
compass. The Master, (if it is the case), should point out to the Inspector that he
already aware of this, that he has already ordered a new compass, that he has the
requisition number and it is due to be delivered in the Port later on today, or whatever
is the example that you choose to use. Certainly this would then turn an observation
into an utterly reasonable state of affairs from one that might be considered rather
more serious if it was not followed up properly by the Master.
4. Owners Comments (One of the most important
aspects)
When the vetting inspector leaves the gangway, the vessel inspection is finished;
however, it's now that the screening process begins and the owners reply to any
comments deficiencies raised play a very large part in this screening process.
What the charterer is looking for are quality replies to the comments raised that
indicate the comments are taken seriously by the owner - these replies will be used
as a measure of the owners quality management. This process is going to be
measured by the vetting manager's subjective assessment of the quality of the
owner's replies to comments about his ship's latest inspection.
Many, otherwise acceptable vessels do not pass this part of the vetting process
because the owner's replies to the vetting inspection do not provide "closure" of the
indicated conditions and this results in the "approval" either been delayed or denied.
It is important that the owner sends replies that show, acceptance and respect for the
system, that the owner has an active Safety Management System in place that takes
every deficiency seriously. The owners reply should be able to identify the "root
cause" of the deficiency and actually addresses the real cause of the deficiency. It
should the necessary changes to existing operation procedures that are necessary to
reduce the chance of the deficiency occurring again.
Some examples of replies that do "not" do this are, "The deficiency has been
rectified", "the deficiency will be rectified at the earliest opportunity", "we have
instructed the Master to not do it again", "The spare part have been ordered",
To indicate that you have an effective system in place it is necessary to take care of
the deficiency within the ISM system, for example identify and the non-conformity
within the ISM system, establish the root cause, and establish effective corrective
action, this should then be implemented and the necessary changes to existing
procedures made. The deficiency then becomes effectively closed out.
It is not sufficient to say the deficiency is fixed, you need to explain that the problem
that caused the deficiency is also fixed.
5. The Screening Process
Having been through all the items mentioned so far this is still not the end of the
process. In addition to the vetting inspection, submitting shining examples of Owners
comments. The charterer will also assess and review many other aspects of your
operation as well, such as other vessels in your fleet, the vessels incident history,
feedback from the charterers terminals, the quality of the owner, detention history,
any previous problems with clearance of the vessel, inspection history of the vessel,
the age of the vessel, crew quality, the management system in place, general
industry information, any conditions of class, CAP rating, fatigue analysis (if
appropriate), The vessels flag, Classification society, PSC Black Listing, training o
