Pre-PSC Inspection Checklist for Shipowners and Managers

A pre-Port State Control inspection should test whether the vessel’s documented safety management is reflected in its actual condition and crew readiness. It is not an exercise in hiding defects. The objective is to identify, assess and close problems before arrival—or transparently manage and report those that cannot be closed.

Use a risk-based scope

Review the vessel’s inspection history, outstanding class and flag conditions, statutory survey status, recent casualties, crew changes, trading area and equipment failures. Consider the current concentrated inspection campaign and regional memorandum of understanding. High-risk areas deserve functional tests, not a paperwork-only review.

Certificates and records

• Confirm statutory and trading certificates are valid and endorsements complete.
• Reconcile class status, conditions and memoranda.
• Review logbooks, Oil Record Book, Garbage Record Book and ballast records.
• Check drills, maintenance, hours of rest and crew certification.
• Ensure approved plans and manuals are current and accessible.

Crew readiness

Interview officers and ratings on duties they may need to demonstrate: emergency steering, fire response, abandon ship, enclosed-space rescue, oily-water separator operation, ballast-water management and GMDSS tests. Familiarisation should be genuine and appropriate to rank. Rehearsed answers cannot replace the ability to operate equipment safely.

Life-saving appliances

Check lifeboats, rescue boats, launching appliances, release gear, liferafts, hydrostatic releases, lifebuoys, lifejackets, immersion suits, pyrotechnics and embarkation lighting. Compare physical identification and expiry dates with certificates and service reports. Review drill defects and temporary repairs.

Fire safety

Test detection, alarms, fire pumps, emergency fire pump, hydrants, hoses, emergency stops and remote closures as appropriate. Inspect extinguishers, fixed systems, breathing apparatus, EEBDs, fire doors, dampers, escape routes and structural penetrations. Confirm crew can start pumps and identify isolation controls.

Navigation and radio

Review passage planning, charts and publications, ECDIS updates, compass errors, lights, shapes, sound signals, BNWAS, VDR, AIS and GMDSS equipment. Check that defects are reported and risk-assessed. Inspect pilot-transfer arrangements before every use.

Pollution prevention

Examine oily-water separator and 15 ppm alarm arrangements, sludge and bilge transfer records, sewage, garbage segregation, incinerator, SOPEP equipment, bunker documentation, emissions records and ballast-water system. Any unexplained bypass, broken seal or inconsistent record requires immediate escalation.

ISM and working conditions

Confirm non-conformities, defects, permits, risk assessments and planned maintenance show effective closure. Review MLC accommodation, food, medical care, contracts, wages and complaint arrangements. Housekeeping and material condition often indicate whether the safety management system is functioning.

Managing findings

Assign each finding an owner, risk level, corrective action and deadline. Verify closure with evidence and functional retesting. If a defect remains, notify company, class, flag and port authorities as required and document compensating measures. Never backdate records or conceal equipment status.

Arrange independent preparation

Review ISM, ISPS, MLC and pre-PSC inspection support and submit the vessel’s port, inspection history and priority concerns through the quotation form.

References

Use the applicable SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, MLC and BWM requirements, regional PSC procedures, current concentrated inspection material, flag notices and the vessel’s safety management system.