Port and flag State control
Risk area 1: Deficiency and detention rates
Port State control (PSC) inspection data showed an increase in both deficiency and detention rates from 2021 to 2022. For flag State control (FSC) inspections there was a decrease in the number of detainable deficiencies in 2022 when compared to 2021.
Focus (C)
AMSA will continue to focus its inspection efforts on those vessels considered a higher risk to Australia.
AMSA will focus flag State control inspections on vessels that undertake international voyages or are based permanently overseas.
AMSA will conduct at least 2,400 port State control inspections based on vessel priority
| Group | Target inspection rate |
|---|---|
| Foreign flagged vessels eligible for PSC inspection | Minimum of 2400 inspections |
| Regulated Australian vessels eligible for FSC inspection | 95% |
Risk area 2: Fire safety
The focus of the 2023 joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign2 is fire safety. This builds upon AMSA’s focus on fire safety in the 2022-23 National Compliance Plan.3
Focus (C)
AMSA will participate in the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding joint Concentrated Inspection Campaign on Fire Safety from 1 September to 30 November 2023.
| Steps | Activity | Timeframe | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire Safety Concentrated Inspection Campaign | Inspection | Quarter 1 and 2 | NA |
Risk area 3: Planned maintenance
Planned maintenance issues continue to be reflected in the 2022 data with marine incidents showing that failures associated with propulsion machinery or vessels equipment was 34 per cent higher than in 2020.
Focus (C)
AMSA will continue to highlight the importance of effective planned maintenance as part of the vessel’s safety management system. Planned maintenance will also continue to be a key focus during all vessel inspections.
| Steps | Activity | Timeframe |
|---|---|---|
| Continue to release education and guidance related to planned maintenance | Education | Ongoing |
Regional focus areas
Risk area 4: Regional safety focus (VIC): Verified gross mass measurement of containers
Since 2016, shippers have been required to obtain and document the verified gross mass (VGM) of packed containers before loading.
Industry continues to raise concerns with AMSA regarding the registered weights of containers at the terminal deviating significantly from the verified gross mass weight recorded on shipping documentation.
Focus (D)
In the 2022-23 National Compliance Plan AMSA commenced a campaign with the aim of reducing the average error in the verified gross mass of containers in Victorian container ports. AMSA will continue to engage with relevant stakeholders across the freight network for containers shipped through Victorian ports to further reduce errors.
| Steps | Activity | Timeframe | Target |
|---|---|---|---|
| VGM Stakeholder engagement, assessment campaign | Education and Assessment | Ongoing | A reduction in average weight deviation for outliers |
Footnotes
2. This Concentrated Inspection Campaign forms part of the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) focused inspection activity.
3. AMSA, ‘Fire Safety’, Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin Issue 17, AMSA, Australian Government, 29 March 2023, accessed 6 June 2023