Ballast water management checklist

1. Documentation on board

Checked first, and the fastest place to lose credibility.

• Approved Ballast Water Management Plan on board, ship-specific, in the working language of the crew.
• International Ballast Water Management Certificate valid, with survey endorsements signed.
• Ballast Water Record Book complete to the last operation, signed by the officer in charge and the master.
• Treatment system type approval certificate and operation manual available at the control station.
• USCG type approval documentation where the vessel trades to the United States.
• Ballast water reporting forms submitted where the port state requires them before arrival.

2. Treatment system readiness

• System operational, no active alarms, no unapproved bypass in place.
• Filters cleaned or backflushed as required; differential pressure within the manual's range.
• UV lamps, electro-chlorination cells or injection equipment within service life, with hours logged.
• Sensors (TRO, flow, salinity, UV intensity) calibrated within the interval, calibration certificates filed.
• Neutralisation chemicals or reagents in stock and within expiry.
• Critical spares on board per the manufacturer's list; consumption tracked in the PMS.

3. Operations and record keeping

• Every uptake, discharge, internal transfer and exchange recorded with date, position, volume and system status.
• Record book entries reconcile with the deck logbook, noon reports and the voyage actually performed.
• Sediment removal from ballast tanks recorded, with disposal location.
• Contingency measures used are recorded with the reason, the alternative applied, and notification to the port state.
• Salinity or exchange data retained where D-1 exchange has been used as a contingency.

4. Crew competence

• Nominated officer able to start, run, stop and troubleshoot the system without the manual.
• Familiarisation records for the treatment system completed for all joining officers.
• Crew able to explain the contingency plan and who is notified when the system fails.
• Safety precautions for chemicals, hydrogen venting or UV exposure understood and posted.

5. Sampling and inspection readiness

• Sampling points accessible, correctly marked and fitted with the required arrangement.
• Indicative analysis equipment, where carried, in date and the crew trained on it.
• Recent self-sampling or commissioning test results filed and reviewed.
• Pre-arrival check completed: system status, record book current, plan and certificate to hand.

6. Management ashore

• Treatment system maintenance raised in the planned maintenance system with running-hours and calendar triggers.
• Service agreement and remote support contact details current and known to the vessel.
• Sensor calibration and lamp replacement scheduled ahead of expiry, not after the alarm.
• Deficiencies from prior inspections closed with evidence attached to the vessel record.
• Fleet-wide review of record book quality at least quarterly.