Support for shipowners
- Checks on Board: Better performance of your ships
- Newsletter "PSC Awareness"
- Port State Control: Challenging deficiencies and detentions
Checks on board: Better performance of your ships
As German Flag, it is important to us that you as shipping company are supported. Our Checks on Board offer a practical preparation, mostly for port state controls abroad. The aim of these checklists is to improve the performance of your individual ships and your fleet as a whole as well as pre-empt the detection of deficiencies during an inspection. Our approach is holistic and incorporates the ship operations in its entirety, from ship safety over marine environmental protection up to working and living conditions of seafarers
For the best-possible performance, a tight integration of ship- and land-based operations is important – this is also the core idea of the ISM Code. Therefore, the addressees of our Checks on Board are both your ship management as well as your inspection team ashore.
The Checks on board are available for all important subject matters regarding ship operation. The general structure of the checklists remains the same:
- Part 1: Checklist
- Part 2: Information and legal bases
80% of German shipping companies have less than ten ships. These small and medium-sized enterprises in particular can profit from our Checks on Board. We provide the Checks on Board on a voluntary basis; the results remain with you. Use our checklists to improve your ships!
Checks on Board - for download:
- Bridge Team: Navigational Bridge – Bridge Team Management
- MLC: Maritime Labour Convention - Maritime Labour Act
- Fire protection & FFE: Fire Protection, Alarm System & Fire-Fighting Equipment
- LSA: Life-Saving Appliances / GMDSS / Abandoning Ship
Further "Checks on Board" will follow.
Newsletter "PSC Awareness"
The newsletter "PSC Awareness" is another ISM prevention service of the German Flag: On two pages it offers an overview of the current Paris MoU performance of German-flagged ships, of the Paris MoU news and of specific remarkable deficiencies that were found during port state control inspections over the last few weeks. It will be published several times throughout the year.
The newsletter will also cover practical tips for up-coming PSC inspections for shipowners and crew. In each issue one particular aspect having shown an increased number of irregularities in the recent past will be the focus.
Download the newsletter here:
More issues will follow on a regular basis.
Port State Control: Challenging deficiencies and detentions
Not just us, the German Flag, ensure that requirements regarding ship safety, marine environment protection as well as working and living conditions on board of German-flagged ships are met, but compliance is also checked during port State control inspections in foreign ports (Find out more about "Port State Control").
You work for a shipping company and a port State control inspection has unduly found deficiencies on one of your German-flagged ships. The German Flag will support you in challenging unduly determined deficiencies.
Deficiencies
If, in your opinion, a port State control inspection has determined unjustified deficiencies, please describe the issue as well as the counter-arguments in an e-mail to us at ISM-MLC@bg-verkehr.de. We will evaluate this information and will contact the respective port State control authority in case of unjustified deficiencies.
Detention
If one of your ships has been detained, you are obliged to inform us as German Flag in any case – the easiest way is via e-mail to ISM-MLC@bg-verkehr.de.
If you think the detention is not justified, you have two options how to proceed and challenge the detention:
Option 1: The shipping company appeals on its own account
The shipping company can appeal on its own account. Information about the deadlines and procedures of appeal are published on the websites of the port Sate control Agreements (MoUs).
Option 2: The Ship Safety Division of the BG Verkehr takes action
In cases where you as shipping company do not wish to appeal, but disagree with the detention, please contact us, the Ship Safety Division of BG Verkehr: ISM-MLC@bg-verkehr.de. We will assess the information. If the detention appears unjustified to us as well, we request the port State authority to reconsider its decision. If the "request to reconsider detention" is rejected, some MoU regimes allow the application for a review panel to clarify the circumstances causing the detention. Please find further information regarding the individual review panels in "Documents" under the heading "Safety ∙ Security - Safety Management - Review Panels".