Section 1.7.3 of Procedures for Port State Control defines a deficiency as ‘a condition found
not to be in compliance with the requirements of the relevant convention’. The six main conventions are: SOLAS, MARPOL, STCW, Tonnage and Loadline. Consideration of ILO MLC
2006, the sixth convention, must be taken as it becomes universally accepted by flag
states. See page 144 for full list of conventions applicable to PSC.
Each of these conventions contains a large amount of information and requirements
to meet international legislation. Not all legislation applies to every ship and therefore the
company must be aware of which pieces of legislation apply to which ship. This is further
reflected in the matter of which certificates and documents relate to ship type.