The Member Authorities of the Tokyo and the Paris Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) on Port State Control will initiate a joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Stability (in general).

Purpose

The purpose of the campaign on ship’s stability in general is:

• to confirm that the ship’s crew are familiar with assessing the actual stability condition on completion of cargo operations before departure of the ship and on all stages of the voyage;
• to create awareness among the ship’s crew and owners about the importance of calculating the actual stability condition of the ship on completion of cargo operations and before departure of the ship;
• to verify that the ship complies with intact stability requirements (and damage stability requirements, if applicable) under the relevant IMO instruments.

This inspection campaign will be held for three months, from 1 September 2021 and ending 30 November 2021. The campaign will inspect specific areas related to the campaign in conjunction with the regular Port State Control inspection.

Inspection Details

A ship will be subject to only one inspection under this CIC during the period of the campaign. Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) will use a pre-defined questionnaire to assess that information and equipment provided onboard complies with the relevant conventions. They will ascertain that the master and officers are familiar with operations relating to stability (in general) and that equipment is properly maintained and functioning. If deficiencies are found, actions by the port State could result in recording a deficiency and instructing the master to rectify it within a certain period of time. The other outcome could result in detaining the ship until the serious deficiencies have been rectified.

Detentions

In the case of detention, publication in the monthly detention lists of the Tokyo and Paris MoU websites will take place. It is expected that the Tokyo and Paris MoUs will carry out approximately 10,000 inspections during the CIC. This is subject to developments during the current COVID-19 pandemic.

 All inspections carried out will be subject to ongoing health and safety requirements in individual port States. The results of the campaign will be analysed. The findings will be presented to the governing bodies of both MoUs for submission to the IMO.