The Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Crew Familiarizat ion for Enclosed Space Entry was carried out between 1 September and 30 November 2015 in the Tokyo MOU region. The aim of the CIC was to ensure that effective procedures and measures are in place to safeguard seafarers on board ships when entering and working in enclosed spaces and to check compliance with the applicable requirements of the SOLAS Convention.
The campaign was undertaken jointly with the Paris MOU. Other c o-operating MoUs have followed the same rout ine during the campaign. Preliminary results show that 6826 inspections were conducted by member states in the Tokyo MOU using the CIC questionnaire, covering ships from 75 flag States.
There appeared to be a strong commitment to safety from ship operators in relation to enclosed space entry. In 96% of CIC inspections, there was evidence of the ship’s crew having participated in an enclosed space entry and rescue drill at least once every two months in accordance with SOLAS requirements. Satisfactory responses to all 10 questions were received in 74% of CIC inspections so there is room for improvement.
Unsatisfactory responses resulted in 1584 deficiencies being issued. During the CIC inspections, Port State Control Officers were required to observe an enclosed space entry drill where practicable. 4487 such drills were observed during the campaign and of these, 93% were conducted to a satisfactory standard. Further analysis of the inspection results will be undertaken to determine whether there are any recommendations t hat could be made to the shipping industry, flag States or the MOU. A final report will be submitted to the PSCC 27 meeting in Australia in October 2016, after which the report will be submitted to th e International Maritime Organization.