Dated:August7, 2003
 

Sub: Enhanced Programme of Inspections during Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers

 The guidelines on the enhanced programme of inspections during surveys of bulk carriers and oil tankers were adopted by Assembly resolution A.744(18) and subsequently made mandatory under SOLAS regulation XI/2, which entered in to force on 1 January 1996. This regulation requires that bulk carriers and oil tankers as defined in SOLAS be subject to an enhanced programme of inspections in accordance with the Guidelines.

Of late, it has come to the notice of this Directorate that many ships although required to comply with enhanced survey programme, do not carry on board survey report file along with other supporting documents as per para 7 of Annex A (amended to para 6 as per amendments adopted by MSC Resolution 125 (75) and para 6 of Annex B of the said Resolution. These documents are not available even at the Company's office. This practice is unacceptable from statutory requirements points of view and may cause complications either at the time of Port State Control inspection of such vessels or when safety management audits are being carried out.

Owners/Operators operating Oil Tankers /Bulk Carriers and the Recognized Organisations are therefore reminded that they should strictly comply with the following provisions/stipulations, as the case may be, with immediate effect.

1. The owner should maintain on-board the ship and at the company's office a survey report file, which should be readily available for the surveyor / auditor. Survey report file should consist of:

..1 reports of structural surveys;

..2 condition evaluation report;

..3 thickness measurement reports; and

..4 survey planning document according to principles in Annex 4 of the IMO Resolution A .744 (18), where provided.

2. One copy of the survey report file should be submitted to DGS for information and records.

3. Owners should ensure that following supporting documents are available on board:

..1 main structural plans of holds and ballast tanks

..2 previous repair history

..3 cargo and ballast history

..4 extent of use of inert gas plant and tank cleaning procedures ( In case of tankers only)

..5 inspections by ship's personnel with reference to:

     - structural deterioration in general;

     - leakages in bulkheads and piping;

    - condition of coating or corrosion prevention system, if any, and any other information that would help to identify critical structural areas and/or suspect areas requiring inspection.

4. The data and information on the structural condition of the ship collected during the survey should be evaluated for acceptability and continued structural integrity of the ship. The analysis of data should be endorsed / approved by the RO and thereafter the same should be submitted to DGS for final approval.

5. The respective RO should issue a condition evaluation report of the survey and results to the owner. The condition evaluation report should be submitted to DGS for approval and a copy of the DGS approved report must be placed on board the ship for reference at future surveys.

6. The Condition Evaluation Report must be kept on board for the lifetime of the ship.

7. Issuance of full term Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificates by Mercantile Marine Departments to all Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers of 500 GT and above will be subject to endorsement of condition Evaluation Report by the Directorate, henceforth.

8. Further, it is observed that the ships are put up for dry-docking survey without prior preparations, which result in their coming out of the dry dock without undertaking proper and necessary repairs. It is noted in several cases that the dry docking of the ship is carried out without completion of activities such as thickness determination and relevant structural examinations necessary to identify repairs that cannot be carried out afloat, which is an unacceptable practice. It is therefore essential that inspection of such spaces and gauging of the hull structures are carried out well in advance to the extent possible and a detailed estimate of the repairs to be carried out in the dry dock is prepared in consultation / concurrence with the RO at least 2 months prior to the dry docking survey. The above plan/estimate duly vetted by the RO should be submitted to the Directorate for information.

This issues with the approval of Director General of Shipping and ex-officio Additional Secretary to the Govt. of India.

Sd/-
(Suresh Kumar)
Ship Surveyor
 

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