Leading classification society ClassNK has released its annual report on Port State Control. The report aims to assist ship operators and management companies in maintaining compliant operations by providing information about ships detained by PSC as well as deficiencies that were found on board from many port states in 2019.
In line with the International Safety Management (ISM) Code, PSC inspections ensure that vessels departing the port meet international standards and have proved to be highly effective in eliminating substandard ships that are in operation. They oversee not only the hardware of a ship, but also the software by examining the maintenance and operation methods being used.
In addition to various figures, status of implementation and recent developments in PSC worldwide is included. For example, in relation to EU-MRV regulation a ship which has not carried out any EEA-related voyages is not required to have a Document of Compliance (DOC) onboard for a specific period, while it was reported that the reason for not having the DOC might be confirmed by a port authority when calling at ports under the jurisdiction of an EU member state, and it is recommended to prepare to show past voyage record.