Global Inspections Activity Map February 2023

China - The recent relaxation of restrictions and quarantine in China has made a further impact on the Inspections demographic for the month of February which saw 54 of the record 228 total (23.7%) conducted there. It is expected that the proportion of Inspections in Chinese ports will continue to grow as the pre-eminent destination going forward with commensurate reductions in numbers in other countries worldwide.

Planning requirements - Throughout the month we have seen repeated requests for renewal inspections at the very end of current inspection validity. Such late planning left no time for the request to be accommodated leaving the vessel without a valid Inspection and a drop in safety Score to 2/5. Owners/Managers are strongly encouraged to start planning at least 2 months in advance of existing inspection expiry and explore all options with the dry inspections team if required. It is Owners/Managers responsibility to ensure a valid inspection is in place where required by RightShip rules if they want the vessel to be considered for recommendation. For RightShip subscribers with access, the Platform provides transparency of the expiring status and countdown from when 60-days remaining validity is reached until expiry.

Inspection Validity – Where vessels substantially meet RISQ at the time of Inspection, the maximum validity of 12 months validity is allocated. For Inspections that do not substantially meet RISQ, the breadth and seriousness of shortcomings and quality of actions is considered in allocating an appropriate validity, allowing gaps in onboard SMS standards and performance to be addressed by Owners/Managers.

Alongside at Discharge ports remains the preference for Inspector attendance. Other vessel status will be considered including post dry-dock/layby, anchorages, and load ports on their merits. RightShip recognises the heavy workload for crew at Load ports in the Australian Pilbara. Given this, we do not Inspect at the berth in these ports, or vessels at exposed roadsteads/anchorages where inspector boarding is deemed to present an unacceptable safety risk.

Engaging with the Inspector – code of conduct - We reiterate that our Inspectors adhere to the RightShip code of conduct and will uphold the professionalism and integrity while carrying out the inspection. We recognize that good managers operate within similar conduct expectations, it is an important reminder that any attempts to coerce or offer bribes at any point during the inspection will not be tolerated. Please note that RightShip Inspectors will report any cases of attempted coercion or attempts to manipulate Inspection outcomes. In these cases, the Inspection will likely be deemed unacceptable.

RISQ improvements - Work has commenced on updates and changes to RISQ. Revision 3 is expected to be implemented before the middle of the year. As has been the case since May 2021, a copy of the latest RISQ document can be downloaded free of charge from the RightShip Website.