Safety Inspections and Standards

• What is Port State Control and Flag State Control?

What is Port State Control and Flag State Control?

MPA's Ship Safety Department conducts both Flag and Port State control inspections. Port State control (PSC) inspections are conducted on foreign-flagged ships in our waters while Flag State control (FSC) inspections are conducted only on Singapore-flagged ships. Both are unscheduled inspections. The scope of inspections is the same for both, focusing on compliance with IMO regulations, including but not exhaustively, SOLAS, Load Line, MARPOL and STCW Conventions and the ISPS Code. A ship which is found with deficiencies which may threaten the safety of the people onboard or the environment if it is allowed to proceed to sea may be detained until the deficiencies are made good. Singapore is also an active member of the Tokyo Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Asia-Pacific Region (also known as the Tokyo MOU), conducting approximately 1,400 PSC inspections annually. FSC and PSC inspections are part of MPA's overall strategy to promote quality shipping, and ensure safe, clean and secure shipping.