Practical Checklist for MARPOL Requirements

Marine Pollution Prevention Pocket Checklist, jointly published by Lloyd’s Register and the UK P&I Club, aims to help masters and owners to comply with the various Annexes of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973, as amended by the Protocol of 1978 (MARPOL 73/78). This should help to reduce the risk of Port State Control (PSC) detentions. Produced by experts from Lloyd’s Register and the UK Club, the guide advises masters and owners about their general approach to Port State Control over prospective and actual pollution, and highlights MARPOL deficiencies found in its own classed fleet by PSC. It provides a detailed checklist of areas that must be up to standard and highlights seven areas where operational deficiencies are frequently found: oil and oily mixtures from machinery spaces; retention of oil on board; discharge violation; inconsistent oil record book entries; garbage management; cargo residues; and shipboard oil pollution emergency plans (SOPEPs).

In the master’s office, certification, documentation and approved manuals must be up to date, original and valid. If equipment is broken or missing or the ship damaged en route, the master must notify the port authorities prior to entry. If permanent or temporary remedies have been agreed with flag, Port State should not detain the vessel. Otherwise, it has clear grounds for inspection, perhaps leading to detention. The checklist highlights over 33 certificates, record books, plans and documents applying to ships in general and particular vessel types, including those specific to tankers and chemical carriers. There are a series of annexes dealing with prevention of pollution by oil, noxious liquids in bulk, harmful substances in packages, sewage, garbage and air pollution. Although not directly linked to MARPOL, an appendix on ballast water management is included.