1.The Marine Environment Protection Committee, at its sixty-second session,
(11 to 15 July 2011), approved the Revised Guidance for recording of operations in the Oil Record Book Part I – Machinery space operations (all ships) (MEPC 62/24, paragraph 7.23), set out in the annex.
2.The Guidance is intended to facilitate compliance with MARPOL requirements on board ships by providing advice to crews on how to record the various operations in the Oil Record Book by using the correct codes and item numbers in order to ensure a more uniform port State control procedure.
3.Administrations of Parties to MARPOL are invited to encourage implementation of the annexed Guidance for use aboard ships flying their flags and to disseminate it among all stakeholders including ship operators, surveyors and port State control officers.
4.This circular revokes MEPC.1/Circ.736.
ANNEX
GUIDANCE FOR RECORDING OF OPERATIONS IN THE OIL RECORD BOOK PART I – MACHINERY SPACE OPERATIONS (ALL SHIPS)
General Guidance
This guidance only includes sections C to I.
Operations should be recorded in chronological order as they have been executed on board.
Dates should be entered in dd/mm/yyyy format, e.g. 16-MAR-2009.
Incineration or landing ashore of oily garbage and used filters should be recorded in the Garbage Record Book only.
All Entries are to be made and signed by the officer or officers in charge of the operations concerned and each completed page shall be signed by the master of the
ship.
Do not leave any full lines empty between successive entries.
If a wrong entry has been recorded in the Oil Record Book (ORB), it should immediately be struck through with a single line in such a way that the wrong entry is still legible. The wrong entry should be signed and dated, with the new corrected entry following.
Tank nomenclature should be recorded as per the format noted within the International
Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate (IOPPC).
Recording of quantities retained in bilge water holding tanks listed under section 3.3 of the IOPPC is voluntary and not required by the Convention.
The recording of general maintenance of items pertaining to the OWS remains
voluntary and is not required to be recorded in the ORB.
