I. CONCEPTS

Ship Vetting is general term for “comprehensive assessment of technical condition of the vessel and safety management system” as required by PVN to apply to all vessels calling to PVN Terminals for cargo operation to assure vessels’ compliance with the international conventions, OCIMF and Terminals safety regulations for approval.

BSR (Binh Son Refinery) and Dung Quat Terminal are facilities owned and managed by PVN.

PVMR (PETROVIETNAM MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR CORPORATION) is assigned by PVN to carry out ship vetting.

Observationsare the defects observed by inspectors at the time of vetting with reference to VIQ issued by BSR/NSRF.

Operator’s Comments: are the comments made by technical manager/ ship owners to clarify the observations by inspectors during ship inspection, basically incorporated with captain’s comments on the same. It is important in the comments to clearly state the corrective actions and preventive measures to rectify observations and prevent reiteration. The operators/ ship owners should comply with the comments (un-executed action or untrue comment will effect negatively to the confidence of PVN to Ship Owner and may make the ship’s approval to operate at PVN Terminals suspended).

Technical hold: the term is used for the case of a vessel not approved for cargo operation at PVN terminals.

VPQ – Vessel Particular Questionnaires are the questionnaires for operators to provide details of ship equipment, technical and trading certificates. VPQ should be frequently updated online via website www.vetting.vn or sent to email: hoangl@pvmr.vn.

VIQ – Vessel Inspection Questionnaires are the questionnaires issued by BSR/ NSRF, based on safety standards of OCIMF with adjustment to be suitable to actual conditions of tanker fleet in Viet Nam, and used by inspectors during ship inspection. VIQ contain useful information for Masters to maintain ship’s conditions and prepare for ship’s inspection. The VIQ is always available on website www.vetting.vn or email to: hoangl@pvmr.vn

II. RESPONSIBILITIES

Master is responsible for the ship to be ready for vetting, especially after receiving vetting schedule from PVMR. Prior to vetting, Master should review the previous observations to ensure that all of them had been correctly rectified and all records are available on board. Furthermore, he has to update VPQ timely when there is any change in certificates or class conditions, etc.

Technical Superintendent of the vessel is to arrange vetting schedule when required from operation department.

Technical superintendent is to arrange plan for close out observations and monitor the rectifying actions from vetting time to comply with the comments presented to PVMR by operators / ship owners.

Ship owners/ Operators should prepare the vessel for vetting before the previous approval validity expires (Referring to approval validity in Vetting policy by BSR/NSRF for each type of vessel).

BSR/NSRF/ PVMR will use available SIRE reports (if any) to evaluate the vessel before vetting, therefore Operators/ Ship Owners should have those reports ready to provide.

III. BRIEF OF SHIP VETTING PROCEDURES

To apply for ship vetting, Ship Owners/Operators are to follow the below steps:

1. Fill in the vetting order form (in www.vetting.vn) and send to hoangl@pvmr.vn
2. Follow the PVMR instruction
3. Confirm that no other inspection will be held in parallel with PVMR’s inspection.
4. Provide the following information:
   – Ship name
   – Operational mode (load/discharge)
   – IMO number
   – ETA
   – ETB
   – Contact person’s details
   – Confirmation of vetting fee payment.
5. Prior to vetting, the updated VPQ should be available on board
6. During inspection, Master should keep inspector accompanied by a designated officer and not to contact crew without Master consent to avoid misunderstanding and notice of defects without Master’s awareness.
7. Master is to discuss with inspector all observations noted and share his own comments at the final meeting after inspection and sign observations list.
8. Master is to make initial comments on all observations soonest possible after inspection and submit to Ship owners/operators.
9. Ship owners/operators have to give officially comments on the observation list to PVMR within 14 days from vetting date. The comments should include their opinions, plan to rectify observations and remedies to avoid repetition. Comments by Master and Superintendent are to be considered. The comments can be uploaded on www.vetting.vn or sent to hoangl@pvmr.vn.
10. BSR/NSRF’s auditors will review the inspection report and make their decisions whether the vessel is “approved” or “not approved”. The validity of “approved” notice is as per BSR/NSRF’s vetting policy. However, if there is any happening which may effect to technical condition or safety of the vessel, BSR/NSRF will review the approval validity.
11. The inspection reports will be maintained in the BSR/NSRF/ PVMR vetting website system. In all cases, one hard copy of Ship owners’/operators’ comments on observations should always be available onboard.

IV. ONBOARD PREPARATION FOR VETTING

Notwithstanding the above-mentioned items, to prepare for vetting, Master should have a meeting to notice all crew with the last inspection report and what actions need to be done before coming inspection.

Prior to vetting, it is useful to review all previous inspection reports performed by all Oil Majors as well as pre-vetting inspection result and make sure that all observations were rectified completely and effectively. Moreover, another best practice is that all observations found by PSC should be reviewed and confirmed that they were already closed out completely. All class survey status reports should also be reviewed to see whether all notations (if any) have been closed out.

One more important thing to comply is security check of visitors at the time of embarkation. During inspection, it is advisable not to try to hide the defects. Better to have good rectification actions to present to inspector. It shows that some defects found and proved to be rectified satisfactorily would not be recorded in the observations list.

V. REPORT

Master should notify the inspection result to Ship owners/operators timely after vetting and submit his comments on all observations. All observations noted by inspector should be clearly commented as for causes, corrective actions, preventive actions, when they are to be closed out?

When initial operator’s comments report is ready in all respects and agreed with Master and safety superintendent, it will be submitted to BSR/NSRF/PVMR via website: www.vetting.vn or sent to hoangl@pvmr.vn.