Brazil

Oily water separator - pipe removal

The Brazilian Port State Control is tightening it's inspections regarding the oily water separator (OWS). In one case, it was reported that officers required the pipe from the OWS to the overboard discharge valve be removed for closer inspection. Nothing abnormal was found and no record of this removal under Port State Control was logged.

To prevent false accusations from other Port State Control officers making the assumption that the pipe had been removed because it was pumping oil overboard, these inspections should be entered into the log book with a comment from the Port State Control inspector.

The following should be especially noted due to active inspections by the US Coast Guard:

Flexible hoses with flanges attached or evidence of bolts, nuts, flanges recently moved and the existence of blank flanges on the OWS.may lead the Coast Guard to think that this has been used to by-pass the OWS and pump oil directly overboard.

New signs of paintwork around the OWS may be signs of hiding evidence of tampering.

The oil record book must be completed truthfully. False entries will lead to suspicious wrong doings.