PSC deficiency code 01315: Oil record book
Area 01 Certificates and documentation
The Oil Record Book is where the engine room accounts for every litre of sludge and oily bilge water it makes, moves, burns or lands ashore. On tankers, Part II does the same for cargo and ballast operations. Inspectors read it as evidence of how oily waste is really handled on board.
What the inspector looks at
The book is read in the control room, then compared with the bilges and the sounding sheets.
- Entries use the correct code letters and item numbers, with dates and quantities
- Each operation is signed by the officer in charge, and each completed page by the master
- Tank names and capacities match the IOPP Certificate supplement
- Quantities retained in sludge and bilge holding tanks agree with current soundings
- Discharges through the oily water separator line up with running hours and the 15 ppm alarm record
- Shore deliveries are supported by receipts, and incinerator use by its own records
Common findings
- Entries not made for transfer of bilge water between tanks
- Wrong codes used for sludge burning in incinerator
- Quantities in sludge tank do not correspond with soundings
- Tank names in ORB differ from IOPP supplement
- Pages not signed by master
- Disposal to shore reception facility recorded without receipt
- Weekly retention of sludge (C.11) not recorded
The rule behind it
MARPOL Annex I requires the book: regulation 17 for Part I (machinery space operations) and regulation 36 for Part II on oil tankers. The book has to be kept on board for three years after the last entry. IMO has issued circular guidance on recording operations, which most flags and inspectors follow when judging whether a code was used correctly. Some flags accept electronic record books under the conditions IMO has set for them.
Action codes you are likely to see
Missing signatures or a wrong code are commonly 17 or 10 once corrected. Figures that can't be reconciled with soundings, unexplained disappearance of sludge or bilge water, or signs that entries were made up point towards 30, and a suspected illegal discharge can be passed to the flag State. See action taken codes. The record also feeds into 14104 Oil filtering equipment.
How to close it
Never rewrite or remove earlier entries. Correct mistakes with a new dated entry that refers to the wrong one, signed by the responsible officer and countersigned by the master. Reconcile tank quantities with fresh soundings and attach the sounding record. Brief the engineers on the codes and add an ORB check to the chief engineer's routine. Keep copies of the corrected pages, receipts and the briefing record with the Form B.