PSC regime has been in existence for a few decades now, and each stakeholder has developed their assumptions and beliefs based on their experiences from, and attitudes towards, 3rd party inspections and audits.
For sure, the countless checklists that are now available and used offer valuable assistance to the crew to improve their performance. Nevertheless, there are more tools to improve further ships’ performance; this improvement is critically needed since:
- PSC performance is part of the charterers’ evaluation and, indirectly or directly, remuneration (through SIRE, RightShip, etc.) criteria. Also, many states include PSC performance in the evaluation of bids.
- Ships do not have privacy privileges (like protection of personal or corporate data, GDPR, etc.) since all details of all PSC records are available in the web’s public domain. Thus, PSC performance is part of the image of the ship and its managers/owners, and as the saying goes, “image is everything”. Thus, it affects the decision of prospective charterers, buyers, etc. Also, it seriously affects the treatment the ship receives from Flag, Class, Insurance. This treatment variation has always had substantial monetary effects (positive or negative).
- PSC deficiencies are always directly related to increased and unnecessary operational risks. Increased risks, sooner or later, lead to increased losses. Losses are always paid by owners, either directly or indirectly through higher premiums.
The following approach could be beneficial:
- PSC to be considered as an opportunity (not a threat) to:
- Improve operational safety and reduce losses (i.e., loss prevention tool)
- Have objective feedback on safety performance (feedback is a cornerstone of improvement)
- Get rid of competitors with substandard ships, which are cheaper to operate in the short term.
- Crew training on dealing with PSC officers (morale, attitude, teamwork, confidence, safety culture, professionalism, and other soft competencies and skills demonstrated during tests and drills)
- Proactive safety measures with respect to crew (training beyond STCW, morale and safety culture monitoring, proper welfare, etc.). The onboard culture is immediately spotted by inspectors and drastically affects their behaviour.
- Innovative tools like risk-based inspections, safety culture audits, peer review, crew resilience control, etc.
- Monitoring updated guidance provided to PSC inspectors by IMO, USCG, AMSA, and Concentrated Inspection Campaigns of the various MOUs.
- In many cases of accidental damages, the decision on detention is based on crew actions (proper reporting and remedial actions)
- Crew to be knowledgeable about rules, requirements, and inspectors’ guidelines, and professionally discuss with PSC officers.
What do we do differently at FMC?
- Pre-emptive risk assessments
- Simulate real-time PSC inspections
- Evaluate documentation, technical readiness, crew knowledge, and onboard safety culture (behaviour-based safety)
- Include “what if” scenarios and inspector behavioural assessment to train the crew for unpredictable audits
- Categorize the list of observations and improvement areas through digital diagnostic reporting tools
- Technical inspections with a human-centric audit — identifying fatigue, complacency, or procedural decay
“We don’t just inspect ships — we help build resilient vessels, confident crew, and proactive management teams ready to face any port inspection worldwide.”
The future of PSC success lies in more thoughtful preparation, digital integration, continuous crew training, and fostering a culture that treats inspections as an opportunity to excel, not merely a hurdle to cross.
FMC International Editorial Team