Portnet will need 'proof of compliance'

LOCAL AUTHORITIES are only a signature away from taking strict action against unseaworthy ships, and it's up to the shipper to ensure that the vessel carrying his cargo complies with new safety regulations.
The moment the amendments to the Merchant Shipping Act are signed, we will move to include ISM (International Safety Management) certification into our port control function, said Bill Dernier, the SAMSA (SA Maritime Safety Agency) executive in charge of ISM operations. SAMSA is the South African body charged with enforcing the new legislation.
The procedure will see SAMSA surveyors, when boarding ships, asking for the ISM certificate along with the other documentation they are required to check.
If there is no ISM clearance, the ship will be detained and go through a detailed inspection. If no other faults are found, the vessel will then be released. But, aid Dernier, we will also tell them that, if they return without being ISM-compliant, they will be detained until everything is sorted out.
Portnet, meantime, will be checking for vessel compliance before a ship enters port.
Portnet has put out a notice to all ships agents to ask for documentation of compliance for all its vessels, said Dernier. If an ISM certificate is not produced, the ship will not be allowed to enter any SA port.
It's a simple reprimand situation if a non-compliant ship slips through this procedure, he added. The ship detained; a critical check; if OK, released and warned not to return without the ISM.