European Maritime Safe Agency (EMSA) has just launched RuleCheck, which is a system to enable ship inspections in ports to be undertaken more efficiently and effectively. Over time, the international rules governing port state control (PSC) related ship inspections have become more and more complex. RuleCheck makes the inspector’s job easier, by clearly showing the different rules that apply to a selected ship at the time of an inspection. RuleCheck was developed under a contract with the Korean Register of Shipping (KRS).

When using the system, PSCOs only have to input the ship type and the date of build (as a minimum) and they can immediately obtain the full set of regulations which apply to that particular ship without having to refer to any other source. The system contains information on the regulations relating to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the Paris MOU, and also allows the PSCO to refine the regulations when other information such as length, tonnage or number of passengers is known.

There are also other features of the system which will enable the PSCO to examine selected areas in much greater detail. In addition to supplying this first version, the contract with KRS also covers system updates relating to new requirements, and it allows for amendments/improvements to be made as a result of observations by PSCOs when using the system. The maintenance contract will run for 4 years and will encompass the new water ballast management, anti-fouling systems and ILO conventions when they come into force.