Port State Control and Maritime Compliance Training Course

Participants can apply the legal authority and procedural limits governing Port State Control inspections.

• IMO Procedures for Port State Control and inspection authority
• Reasonable grounds triggering expanded inspections and operational tests
• Foreign vessel treatment under international convention non-discrimination principles
• Port State powers to verify certificates, conditions and crew competence
• Detention thresholds where ship, crew or environment face danger
• Review, appeal and compensation provisions following unjustified detention

Participants can distinguish regional PSC regimes and use their inspection information for voyage planning.

• Paris MoU inspection regime, performance lists and targeting factors
• Tokyo MoU procedures, databases and regional inspection priorities
• Indian Ocean, Black Sea and Mediterranean MoU coverage
• US Coast Guard port State control targeting approach
• Equasis vessel information used for pre-arrival compliance screening
• Regional inspection campaigns and concentrated inspection campaign themes

Participants can assess factors that influence vessel selection, inspection scope and inspection frequency.

• Ship Risk Profile criteria under Paris MoU procedures
• Company performance, flag performance and recognized organization performance
• Age, ship type and detention history as risk indicators
• Priority categories determining inspection timing and selection status
• Pre-arrival risk review using port-call and vessel-history data
• Fleet dashboard measures for repeat deficiencies and inspection exposure

Participants can prepare for and manage each stage of a standard Port State Control inspection.

• Inspector boarding protocol, opening discussion and document request sequence
• Initial inspection scope under valid certificates and general condition
• Clear grounds extending inspections into operational and physical checks
• Shipboard escort arrangements, evidence retrieval and communication discipline
• Operational tests for safety equipment, emergency systems and pollution controls
• Closing meeting, deficiency discussion and inspection report verification

Participants can verify statutory certification status and prevent survey-related PSC deficiencies.

• Cargo Ship Safety Construction Certificate validity and survey endorsements
• Cargo Ship Safety Equipment Certificate supporting records and annexes
• International Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate renewal and endorsement checks
• International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate applicability and evidence
• Minimum Safe Manning Document versus actual crew complement
• Certificate register linking expiry dates, surveys and responsible owners

Participants can test SOLAS compliance evidence for common life-saving, fire safety and navigation deficiencies.

• SOLAS chapter I survey requirements and certificate control
• Fire Safety Systems maintenance records, drills and impairment controls
• Life-saving appliance readiness, launching arrangements and abandonment drills
• GMDSS radio log, battery tests and shore-based maintenance evidence
• Navigation safety checks for ECDIS, charts and passage plans
• Emergency steering, emergency generator and blackout recovery arrangements

Participants can inspect MARPOL records, equipment and operating controls for PSC readiness.

• MARPOL Annex I Oil Record Book entry controls
• Oily water separator operation, alarms and bypass prevention
• SOPEP equipment inventory, reporting contacts and drill evidence
• MARPOL Annex V Garbage Record Book and placard requirements
• Fuel sulphur compliance, bunker delivery notes and fuel samples
• Ballast Water Management Plan, records and treatment-system readiness

Participants can verify seafarer certification, watchkeeping arrangements and competence evidence against STCW requirements.

• STCW certificates of competency, endorsements and flag acceptance
• Safe manning levels, rank substitutions and voyage-specific competence
• Hours of rest records, exceptions and fatigue indicators
• Bridge watchkeeping arrangements under STCW and COLREG requirements
• Engine-room watchkeeping records, alarm response and familiarization evidence
• Competence interviews using drills, procedures and emergency scenarios

Participants can assess MLC documentation and living-working conditions that may lead to PSC action.

• Maritime Labour Certificate and Declaration of Maritime Labour Compliance
• Seafarer employment agreements, wage records and repatriation evidence
• Accommodation inspections covering hygiene, ventilation and sanitary facilities
• Food, catering, potable water and galley sanitation controls
• Onboard complaint procedure, welfare access and retaliation safeguards
• MLC detention grounds involving serious living or working deficiencies

Participants can evaluate whether a safety management system is implemented and supported by credible evidence.

• Document of Compliance and Safety Management Certificate verification
• ISM Code functional requirements mapped to shipboard evidence
• Non-conformity, observation and near-miss reporting controls
• Maintenance planning, critical equipment testing and defect escalation
• Emergency preparedness drills, debriefs and corrective-action tracking
• Master's review, shore support and designated person ashore communication

Participants can verify ship security documentation, access controls and security-level response arrangements.

• International Ship Security Certificate validity and verification requirements
• Ship Security Plan access, confidentiality and controlled amendments
• Security levels, declaration of security and port-interface controls
• Restricted-area access, visitor records and gangway watch arrangements
• Security drills, exercises and crew security awareness records
• Port facility security concerns reported through company procedures

Participants can organise shipboard evidence so inspectors can verify compliance efficiently and accurately.

• Evidence matrix linking regulatory requirements, records and responsible officers
• Controlled document registers for manuals, forms and revisions
• Logbook entries tested against operational events and equipment status
• Photographic evidence standards for repairs, defects and close-out
• Retention periods for statutory records and company-controlled documents
• Document discrepancy escalation before arrival at inspection ports

Participants can interpret PSC deficiency records and write corrective-action statements that meet verification needs.

• Deficiency codes, action codes and detention-related coding conventions
• Objective evidence separated from assumptions, explanations and corrective promises
• Clear deficiency statements identifying requirement, condition and consequence
• Action taken codes distinguishing repair, rectification and flag involvement
• Inspection report quality checks before master acknowledgement and signature
• Deficiency trend analysis by convention, code and vessel type

Participants can develop corrective actions that remove immediate deficiencies and control recurrence across the fleet.

• Five Whys analysis for recurring equipment and procedural failures
• Fishbone diagrams separating people, process, equipment and environment causes
• Immediate correction, corrective action and preventive action differentiated
• CAPA plans with owner, due date, evidence and effectiveness measure
• Effectiveness verification through follow-up inspections and trend monitoring
• Fleet alerts translating one detention finding into targeted controls

Participants can coordinate technical, operational and regulatory actions required to secure release from detention.

• Detention notice analysis, restrictions and immediate operational consequences
• Master, company, flag and class notification sequence after detention
• Repair scope definition, service providers and evidence requirements
• Flag State involvement when statutory certificates require intervention
• Release inspection preparation and closure evidence presentation
• Post-release reporting, lessons learned and management escalation

Participants can apply flag State oversight requirements to vessel certification, reporting and compliance monitoring.

• Flag administration duties under UNCLOS and IMO instruments
• Delegation agreements governing recognized organization statutory services
• Casualty, detention and serious-deficiency reporting to flag authorities
• Flag State audit preparation using IMO Instruments Implementation Code
• Statutory exemption, equivalency and dispensation approval controls
• Flag performance monitoring through PSC detention and deficiency data

Participants can establish a risk-based assurance process for shipboard compliance before port calls.

• Risk-based internal audit plans using PSC performance data
• Pre-arrival compliance reviews aligned with port-call risk profiles
• Shipboard inspection checklists covering documents, equipment and crew
• Remote evidence reviews before superintendent attendance or port arrival
• Management review packs combining deficiencies, trends and overdue actions
• Assurance escalation thresholds for high-risk vessels and repeat findings

Participants can communicate professionally with inspectors while protecting accurate evidence and operational control.

• Master's opening briefing covering safety status and vessel particulars
• Professional responses to inspector questions without speculation or argument
• Escalating disputed findings through documented company and flag channels
• Interpreter use, crew interviews and communication accuracy controls
• Managing operational tests without compromising safe shipboard operations
• Closing meeting preparation, factual corrections and action commitments

Participants can convert inspection findings into measurable fleet improvement priorities and management reporting.

• PSC data taxonomy for deficiencies, detentions, ports and conventions
• Pareto analysis identifying frequent and high-consequence compliance failures
• Trend charts separating vessel-specific issues from systemic control weaknesses
• Leading indicators for overdue maintenance, drills and certificate renewals
• Monthly compliance dashboard for fleet managers and designated persons
• Improvement plans linking controls, budgets, owners and review dates

Participants can build, review and present a complete vessel PSC compliance-readiness dossier with inspection evidence, risk controls and detention response arrangements.

• Vessel risk profile assessed against route, history and certificate status
• Statutory certificate register reviewed for validity and survey exposure
• PSC readiness checklist completed for documents, equipment and crew
• Evidence matrix assembled for SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, MLC and ISM
• Priority deficiencies analysed using root-cause and CAPA methods
• Detention response plan presented with notifications, repairs and release evidence