Marine Inspectors will have an increased focus on how vessel structure, machinery, safety equipment and certification has been maintained and documented, as required under Marine Order 504 (Certificates of operation and operational requirements).
Specifically, Marine Inspectors will look for:
- procedures for inspection and maintenance of safety equipment
- procedures for inspection and maintenance of vessel machinery and equipment
- adherence to manufacturers’ requirements for inspection and maintenance
- evidence of the effective implementation of planned maintenance
- records of inspection and maintenance
- periodic survey for DCVs holding a certificate of survey.
The FIC follows an analysis of 117 reported marine incidents involving DCVs since 2020, which found that maintenance failures were a factor in almost one-third.
Common deficiencies related to the condition of safety equipment and validity of certification associated with these vessel operations, including overdue periodic surveys.
Updated guidance and templates are available to help domestic commercial vessel owners and operators develop and implement a maintenance plan for their operation.
Expect to be inspected.
Inspection process
Marine Inspectors will undertake this FIC in conjunction with regular DCV inspections.
Where a Marine Inspector finds a deficiency in relation to the checklist below, the Marine Inspector will discuss this with the person in charge of the DCV with a view to ensuring the vessel is brought into compliance.
Outcome of the FIC
The results of the FIC will be analysed, and a report prepared. This report will be published on the AMSA website.
Inspection checklist
Below is a sample of the DCV Planned Maintenance Inspector checklist (1 May 2023 to 30 June 2023) that our Marine Inspectors will use when they visit your vessel.
| FIC Checklist | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Vessel: | UVI: | Class of Vessel: | |||
| Date of inspection: | Port inspected: | ||||
| No. | Question | Yes | No | N/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All answers need to satisfy current operations, otherwise the answer is N | ||||
| 1 | Does the vessel have a system in place of regular programmed inspection and maintenance for safety equipment? MO504 Sch1 C10(2) | |||
| 2 | Do the procedures in Q1 take into account the manufacturers specifications and requirements? MO504 Sch1 C10(2)(6) | |||
| 3 | Have the procedures in Q1 been effectively implemented? MO504 Sch1 C10, MO504(7)(1)(a)(b) | |||
| 4 | Does the vessel have a system in place of regular programmed inspection and maintenance for its machinery and equipment? MO504 Sch1 C10(2) | |||
| 5 | Do the procedures in Q3 take into account the manufacturers specifications and requirements? MO504 Sch1 C10(2)(6) | |||
| 6 | Have the procedures in Q3 been effectively implemented? MO504 Sch1 C10, MO504(7)(1)(a)(b) | |||
| 7 | For vessels requiring a CoS, have periodic surveys been carried out within the required time frame? MO504 Sch1 C10, MO504 7(1)(c)(i), MO503 Sch3 | |||
| 8 | For EX02 vessels that are not kept on a trailer, does the SMS ensure that the vessel has been taken out of the water for regular programmed inspection and maintenance? MO504 Sch1 C10(2) | |||
| 9 | Are the details of planned maintenance and inspections documented and recorded? MO504 Sch1 C10(3) | |||
| 10 | Were any National Law notices issued related to a question or questions in this FIC? | |||