Liberia issues guidance for approving shipboard plans and manuals

Liberia Maritime Authority has issued a marine advisory note about the policy for approving shipboard plans and manuals.

This document was published on March 6th, 2023.

Purpose

The purpose of this Marine Advisory is to provide guidance to port authorities, shipowners, operators, inspectors, and masters of the Liberian Administration’s policy for approving shipboard plans and manuals.

Background

IMO Conventions and Codes require ships to carry certain shipboard plans and manuals approved by the Administration.

Regulation 1 of SOLAS Chapter XI-1, regulation 6.3.1 of MARPOL Annex I, regulation 8.2.1 of MARPOL Annex II, and regulation 5.3.1 of MARPOL Annex VI permit Administrations to entrust shipboard plan and manual approvals to its Recognized Organizations (ROs).

Guidance

In addition to the Liberian Administration, ROs have been delegated the authority to review and approve certain shipboard plans and manuals which comply with the provisions of applicable International Conventions, to which Liberia is a Party or which it has implemented.

The list of shipboard plans and manuals delegated to ROs for approval includes but is not limited to the following:

• 1. Ballast Water Management Plan (Not delegated to RO after 21 April 2017)
• 2. Bulk Carrier Booklet (endorsed by RO);
• 3. Cargo Securing Manual;
• 4. Document of Approval for Rate of Sewage Discharge;
• 5. Liquified Gas Carrier Cargo Operations Manual;
• 6. NOx Technical File;
• 7. Oil Discharge Monitoring and Control (ODMC) Operational Manual;
• 8. Procedures and Arrangements Manual;
• 9. Stability Information and Loading Information;
• 10. Shipboard Oil Pollution Plan (SOPEP);
• 11. Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan for Noxious Liquid Substances;
• 12. Shipboard Marine Pollution Emergency Plan (SMPEP);
• 13. Ship Structure Access Manual;
• 14. Ship to Ship Transfer Operations Plan;
• 15. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) Management Plan.

Additional plans/manuals are included in reference (a).

For more information, please see the document below (available only to subscribers):

RELEVANT DOCUMENTS:

Authorization to Recognized Organizations to Approve Shipboard Plans and Manuals