American Club warns of USCG crackdown on MARPOL compliance

The U.S. Coast Guard is tightening its vigilance on ships that may infringe MARPOL regulations, the American P&I Club has warned its members.

The club’s managers warn that there has been a “significant increase” in Coast Guard activity relating to oily water separators and associated electronic monitoring equipment.

Coast Guard officers have been comparing oil record book entries to the electronically recorded history in the memory of the monitoring equipment.

Reminding members of the recording function in more modern installations, the club says it is also important to recognize that, frequently, when monitoring equipment has been serviced or repaired, the original equipment will have been replaced by the more modern technology with the recording function.

Chief engineers should be aware of this when compiling oil record book entries, and they should be able to demonstrate to any Port State Control inspector how to display the recorded history held within the monitoring equipment.

It is crucial, the club adds, that consistency is maintained at all times between electronically recorded data and entries in oil record books, log books and sounding books. Simple errors can lead to significant fines and delays to vessels.

March 20, 2014