Liberia: Checklist for Safety and Pollution Regulations

Liberia Maritime Authority on 1 December 2023 released marine notice INS-004, Rev. 10/23, revising the Operational/Safety Checklist for Safety and Pollution Regulations.

The following changes have been included: updates for the latest SOLAS and MARPOL Amendments, along with the requirements of other Conventions being added.

Purpose

This Notice provides a reproducible copy of this Operational/Safety Checklist in the RLM-300 to facilitate the inspection of safety equipment as required by SOLAS 1974, as amended, Chapter II, Regulations 14.2 to 14.4, Chapter III, Regulations 20.6 and 20.7 and other parts of SOLAS, MARPOL and other International Conventions, as applicable.

The Administration strongly recommends the use of this format or a company sponsored planned maintenance system.

Applicability

This Notice applies to Masters as it is their responsibility to ensure that all safety equipment, including lifesaving and firefighting appliances, is always in good condition and available for immediate use.

Masters should also be aware that Port State Control inspections are focusing greater attention to the condition of lifesaving and firefighting appliances, based on the fact that these areas continue to generate the greatest number of deficiencies on the average for all vessels inspected by Port State Authorities.

Questions regarding this Marine Notice should be directed to the Fleet Performance Department at prevention@liscr.com.

Requirements

Master’s Responsibility

The master should appoint one of his officers as the designated safety officer to make the weekly and monthly checks of equipment as required by SOLAS.

If used, the checklist in the Annex of this Marine Notice is to be signed by the designated safety officer and reviewed by the master at the end of each month.

Record Retention and Availability

The signed copy should be retained in the master/safety officer's file and should be made available to the Liberian nautical inspector when they board the vessel for inspection.

The master can also show this report to any Port State inspector or official that may visit the vessel as evidence of maintenance of equipment and operational readiness.

The master should send the original to the owner/operator at convenient intervals to assure shore side management that all of the equipment is being maintained in serviceable condition and no delays should be expected due to Port State intervention with respect to any of these items.

Corrective Action

Should corrective action require company assistance, such as furnishing spare parts, new equipment or arranging shoreside labor, the master should immediately requisition an order to maintain operational readiness at all times and to avoid being cited for any deficiencies.

Owners should respond to and cooperate with the master by taking immediate corrective action.

Benefits

If each master adopts a positive attitude and insists that their designated safety officer conduct these examinations in an effective manner, all equipment can be maintained defect-free and the master, with complete confidence, can welcome inspection of this equipment by any inspection body.

The master may also find the checklist to be valuable reference material for utilization during general safety meetings held with the officers and crew.

Log Book Entry

The date of these inspections shall be entered into the Log Book as required by SOLAS Chapter III, Regulation 20.6 and 20.7.2.

This Marine Notice supersedes INS-004, dated 07/20.

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