Det Norske Veritas has announced that it can support shipowners and operators through the initial enforcement phase of the Maritime Labour Convention with a range of services and has advised that the major port state control bodies will go beyond International Labour Organization Resolution XVII recommendations to initially just concentrate on passenger ships and bulk carriers.
Paris MoU enforcement will be applied to all ship types, and those considered high risk will be the target for inspections,” said Georg Smefjell, DNV Head of Section. “This includes oil, chemical and gas tankers as well as ships from ‘black listed’ flags and those with a history of deficiencies.”
Smefjell expects most other port state controls to take a similar stance, and he reminds shipowners that the ‘no more favorable treatment’ clause of the convention will mean that vessels will be inspected irrespective of flag. Documentation such as the Declaration of Maritime Labor Compliance must meet complex requirements, he says. There are also specific requirements for vessels with keel laid after 20 August 2013 which need to be included in newbuilding contracts.
Working and living conditions must be inspected and approved before a ship is certified, and this includes medical certification, qualifications of seafarers, employment agreements, wages, manning levels, accommodation and other onboard facilities. “In our experience, almost every ship operator will have to develop new procedures or revise existing ones in order to meet the requirements set out by their flag state,” said Smefjell.
