Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Communicating with the PSCO

How to behave during the inspection: the crew's rights and duties, the right tone in interviews, and why transparency reduces (not increases) the risk of deficiencies.

PSC PSCO inspection communication

## Operational Explanation

How the crew communicates with the PSCO during the inspection affects the outcome as much as the ship's substantive compliance. A cooperative, transparent attitude, combined with precise answers during interviews, helps the inspector form an accurate judgement; a defensive or evasive attitude, even in the absence of real shortcomings, can generate "clear grounds" for a more thorough check.

The PSCO has the right to interview any crew member, not only officers: preparation must therefore extend to all on-board personnel, not be concentrated only on the Master and heads of department.

## Regulatory Reference

The PSCO's powers and procedures are governed by the Paris MOU (and equivalent regional regimes) in implementation of the underlying IMO/ILO conventions (SOLAS, MARPOL, MLC, STCW); the PSCO has the right to inspect the ship, request documentation, interview the crew and, if necessary, conduct a more detailed or expanded inspection in the presence of "clear grounds".

## Scope of Application

Every interaction between the crew and the PSCO during an inspection, from the welcome on board to the final debrief.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Welcome the PSCO courteously, immediately providing access to the requested documentation.
2. Answer questions directly and honestly, neither downplaying nor exaggerating real shortcomings.
3. If a crew member does not know the answer to a question, admit it and direct the inspector to the competent person, rather than answering imprecisely.
4. Record (name, role, time) the course of the inspection for your own internal records.
5. At the end, ask for clarification on every deficiency found and the rectification timescales required, to avoid subsequent misunderstandings.

## Practical Example

Example of good practice: during the interview, a recently embarked seaman honestly admits he does not remember precisely the location of a specific fire extinguisher, but correctly indicates his own emergency station and role per the muster list — a sign of genuine familiarisation, even in the presence of a minor, honestly admitted gap.

## Real Cases

In several documented cases, an excessively defensive attitude or clearly rehearsed and uniform answers from the whole crew have aroused more suspicion in PSCOs than the honest admission of small gaps, leading to a more thorough inspection than would otherwise have occurred.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
Rehearsed, uniform answers from the whole crew, perceived as not genuine | The PSCO extends the inspection to verify the substance behind the answers | Aim for genuine understanding of procedures, not rote-learned answers
A defensive or reluctant attitude in providing documentation | Generates suspicion and clear grounds for a more thorough check | Always provide immediate, transparent access to requested documentation
Downplaying or hiding an obvious deficiency during the inspection | If discovered, it significantly worsens the outcome and the PSCO's trust | Admit real shortcomings and show, where possible, the corrective action already under way

## PSC Observations

The crew's behaviour during the interview is itself an element of assessment: PSCOs are trained to distinguish genuine understanding of procedures from rote-learned or evasive answers.

## Operational Tips

- Train the crew on the substance of procedures, not on answers to recite in the event of an inspection.
- Maintain a cooperative, transparent attitude: it hides far less than a defensive attitude reveals.
- Always clarify, at the end of the inspection, the timescales and manner of rectifying every deficiency found.

## Checklist

- Courteous welcome and immediate access to documentation
- Crew prepared on the substance of procedures, not rote-learned answers
- No downplaying of obvious deficiencies
- Internal record of the course of the inspection
- Final clarification on deficiencies and required rectification timescales

## FAQ

Can a PSCO interview any crew member?
Yes, not only officers: for this reason, familiarisation with emergency and safety procedures must involve all on-board personnel, not only officers.
What are the 'clear grounds' that extend an inspection?
Objective elements (inconsistent documentation, evident conditions of poor maintenance, evasive or contradictory answers) that give the PSCO reasonable grounds to extend the check beyond the standard initial inspection.
Is it better to admit a minor deficiency or hope it goes unnoticed?
Transparency is always preferable: a deficiency admitted with corrective action already under way is viewed far more favourably than one discovered hidden or denied by the crew.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Managing Deficiencies Pre-PSC Checklist

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