APPLICATION AND REQUREMENTS OF THE ISPS CODE AND AMENDMENTS TO SOLAS CHAPTER XI

Application
The ISPS Code and the Amendments to SOLAS apply to the following types of ships engaged on international voyages:

1. Passenger ships, including high-speed passenger craft;
2. Cargo ships, including high-speed craft, of 500 gross tonnage and upwards; and
3. Mobile offshore drilling units.

They also apply to port facilities serving such ships engaged on international voyages.

Requirements
Requirements under the ISPS Code include:

• Responsibilities of Contracting Governments, e.g. setting security levels and providing guidance for protection from security incidents, establishing the requirements for a Declaration of Security, testing the effectiveness of ship security plans or port facility security plans and exercising control and compliance measures in accordance with SOLAS XI-2/9;
• Declarations of Security that addresses the security requirements that could be shared between a port facility and a ship (or between ships) and state the responsibility that each shall take;
• Obligations of the Company to “ensure that the ship security plan contains a clear statement emphasizing the master’s authority” and “ensure that the company security officer, the master and the ship security officer are given the necessary support to fulfil their duties and responsibilities”;
• Ship security with activities defined as to how a ship is required to act upon security levels set by Contracting Governments;
• Ship Security Assessment to be “carried out by persons with appropriate skills to evaluate the security of a ship”, and to include an on-scene survey and a number of other elements;
• Ship Security Plan approved by the Administration and carried on board ship;
• Records of certain “activities addressed in the ship security plan shall be kept on board for at least the minimum period specified by the Administration”. These records to be protected from unauthorised access or disclosure;
• Provisions for designated company security officers and ship security officers;
• Records of certain “activities addressed in the ship security plan shall be kept on board for at least the minimum period specified by the Administration” These records to be protected from unauthorised access or disclosure;
• Training, drills and exercises on ship security;
• Verification and certification for ships.

Other requirements under Amendments to SOLAS chapters V and XI include:

• Carriage requirements for shipborne navigational systems and equipment;
• Requirements as to where and how the ship’s identification number will be permanently marked;
• Every ship to which chapter I of SOLAS applies must have a Continuous Synopsis Record containing specified information;
• Provision of a ship security alert system as specified in SOLAS XI-6.

For Continuous Synopsis Record guidance please click Here