Are you ready for the next Government inspection of your ship or facility? Has your security officer ensured that the required annual audit has been performed by the anniversary date of your plan approval? Are the physical structure of your vessel or facility, the emergency response procedures, security measures, and operations the same as they were when your plan was approved or as they were at the last audit? Is the owner/operator the same? Do you have personnel who have knowledge of auditing and inspection methods and who do not have regularly assigned security duties and are independent of security measures being audited? Do you have the in-house manpower with the appropriate skills and the time to prepare any security plan amendments prompted by an audit?
Unless the answer to all these questions is a definite “yes,” you may have a significant problem with your auditing. In practice, inadequate audits foster noncompliance leading to fines and other penalties. Once issued, warnings, notices of violation and civil penalties go on your record in the Coast Guard computer permanently and do not go away after you have corrected the problem. This leaves you open to even closer scrutiny.
Have you ever reviewed your security plan to ensure it reflects best practices? If so, how long ago? Was your plan one of the many that was approved in the run up to the MTSA/ISPS implementation date of July 1, 2004? If so, you need to prepare to submit to the Government for your five-year recertification. It is likely that higher standards will be required this time. MPS can help with a security plan review. We also conduct more extensive “Needs Assessment” programs at your facility where we will evaluate your current implementation of security measures and procedures and advise, using a structured methodology, how to improve on your existing protocols before you submit for recertification.
Avoid the last minute crush; contact MPS today to get your security plan ready for resubmission. Contact us today for our experts’ assistance in auditing to meet the regulatory requirements
