IMCA releases preview of eCMID and eMISW updates

Published 30 August 2024

IMCA has published preview copies of its vessel inspection templates, to alert the eCMID user community to forthcoming changes, and provide an opportunity for feedback prior to finalisation.

The preview drafts can be accessed below and will be available until the updates are live in the database.

The new versions will be:

• IMCA M149 Issue 14 – Common Marine Inspection Document (eCMID) – for vessels >500gt
• IMCA M189 Issue 7 – eCMID for Small Workboats (eMISW) – for vessels <500gt

An updated IMCA M167 Rev. 5 – Guidance on the IMCA eCMID System – is also available, detailing the latest changes to procedures and guidance.

What’s New

• Vessel particulars – we’ve improved the interface to make it easier to record good quality data. A new ‘not applicable’ option makes clear that an item has been reviewed, rather than left blank as in previous versions.
• Required supplements – vessel operators can now mandate the completion of relevant supplements, such as DP or heavy lift, which will then link to the relevant inspector accreditation requirements.
• Risk categorisation – our cross-industry eCMID committee has identified those questions associated with the greatest safety risks. Where a finding is recorded, these will now be automatically categorised, listed first in the report and available for reporting via the analytics hub on an industry- or fleet-wide basis. This will identify findings requiring the most urgent and important action, whether by the vessel operator or by the wider industry through IMCA and its committees.
• Inspector guidance – The instructions for inspectors have been fully revised to more clearly identify what should be assessed, considered, captured via photograph and included in the comments.
• Reader notes – The PDF inspection report will now include simplified reader notes, summarising what has been assessed by the inspector without including unnecessary lengthy details.
• Closing meetings – Guidance on holding and recording closing meetings between the inspector and the vessel master and other senior crew, was updated in 2023. We have now improved the inspection app interface to further assist in completing this important element.

Every revision of the inspection templates also incorporates the latest regulatory and technological changes, and responds to feedback from the user community.

The eCMID inspection app and database website are both being updated to facilitate these changes – part of our ongoing improvement plan which is funded by users’ upload fees.

New Requirement for Vessel Operators

Vessel operators are strongly encouraged to fully complete the vessel particulars data via the ‘vessel setup’ screens in the database. Where this is done, the inspector needs to spend less time gathering and recording these details – where they only need to verify the information presented, they can spend more time assessing critical elements of the safety management system and its use in practice.

From 1 January 2025, a new finding will be recorded in inspection reports where this data has not been pre-populated by the vessel operator.

Once the updates are live, vessel operators should therefore ensure that their vessel data is complete, then kept up to date, by the end of this year.

Implementation

The new inspection templates are being prepared in the eCMID database for publication around 30 September. A further notice will be posted on the eCMID site nearer the time regarding brief periods of downtime for each template.

In the meantime, preview versions are provided so users can familiarise themselves with the changes. Any feedback is also welcome and, where possible, will be considered prior to finalisation of the updates.

Any feedback or questions should be addressed to the IMCA eCMID Helpdesk via [email protected]