Tier I – Policy – Delegated statutory inspection program (DSIP)

1 Policy objective

1.1 This policy sets out the terms under which Transport Canada Marine Safety and Security (TCMSS) addresses the following activities conducted under the Delegated Statutory Inspection Program (DSIP):

(i) Vessel Enrollment: conditions under which TCMSS requires vessels to be enrolled in the program.

(ii) Vessel Exemption: conditions under which TCMSS grants exemptions to vessels required to enroll in the program.

(iii) Vessel Risk-Based Monitoring: conditions according to which TCMSS monitors vessels enrolled in DSIP.

2 Policy statement

2.1 The Authorized Representative (AR), or the Ship Manager (SM) of a Canadian registered vessel of 24 metres in length and above are required to obtain their Canadian Maritime Documents (CMDs) from one of the Third Parties, authorized to perform vessel related activities on behalf of the Minister of Transport.

2.2 Transport Canada (TC) has authorized certain classification societies to issue CMDs to vessels of 24 metres and above.

2.3 The AR continue to be responsible under applicable Canadian legislation and International Conventions, as well as be responsible to inform TCMSS of any changes to the vessel registry, its operation, its ownership, the agreement with the RO or any other change of conditions from the time of the enrolment.

2.4 TCMSS recognizes that some vessels subject to DSIP may not be able to enroll, specific procedure for exemption are available in RDIMS document 12785849 “Procedure Exemption from the Delegated Statutory Inspection Program”.

2.5 TCMSS outlines a risk-based methodology by which vessels enrolled in the DSIP will be selected for monitoring inspections as well as the number of vessels that would be selected for such inspection per fiscal year.

2.6 Results from the monitoring inspections of the vessels enrolled in DSIP, are used to assist TCMSS in evaluating the performance of the RO, the condition of the vessels enrolled in DSIP, as well as the overall performance of the program.

2.7 DSIP Liaison Officers (DSIPLOs) are identified in each region, to address matters pertaining to DSIP activities.

3 Scope

3.1 This policy applies to all existing Canadian registered vessels of 24 metres in length and above, requiring CMDs.

3.2 Furthermore, this policy applies to vessels of 24 metres in length and above, which are being built with the intention to be registered in Canada and requiring CMDs.

3.3 Moreover, this policy applies to foreign vessels, of 24 metres in length and above, entering into the Canadian Registry and requiring CMDs.

4 Authority

4.1 This policy is authorized by the Marine Safety and Security Executive and is in accordance with the objectives of the Canada Shipping Act, 2001.

5 Responsibility

5.1 The Director General, Marine Safety and Security, is accountable for the implementation of this policy.

5.2 The Executive Director, Domestic Vessel Regulatory Oversight, is the functional authority for the development, implementation, maintenance and continuous improvement of this policy.

5.3 The Regional Directors are responsible for the implementation and promotion of this policy in their respective regions.

5.4 Comments or queries related to this policy and its application should be addressed to:

Manager, National Marine Safety Program
Safety Management Systems and Authorizations (AMSDA)
330 Sparks Street
Ottawa ON K1A 0N8
dsip-pdio@tc.gc.ca

6 Related documents

6.1 Canada Shipping Act, 2001 (CSA 2001) and the regulations made under it.

6.2 TIER II – Procedure – Enrolment in the Delegated Statutory Inspection Program (RDIMS 4791259).

6.3 TIER II – Procedure – Risk Based Monitoring of Delegated Statutory Inspection Program (DSIP) Vessel. (RDIMS 16827296).

6.4 TIER II – Procedure - Compliance Inspection Procedure for Operational Delegated Vessels (RDIMS 5073673).

6.5 TIER III Work Instructions – DSIP Work Instructions (RDIMS 7265299).

7 Background

7.1 The CSA 2001 came into force on July 1, 2007. Paragraph 10(1)(c) provides the authority to the Minister of Transport to enter into agreements with Third Parties, and subsection 12(1) provides the authority to the Minister of Transport to authorize Third Parties to issue CMDs and carry out inspections.

7.2 Since January 2014, ARs of Canadian registered vessels of 24 metres in length and above are required to obtain their CMDs from a Third Parties, authorized to perform vessel related activities on behalf of the Minister of Transport.

7.3 TCMSS authorizes RO to perform a number of functions on its behalf, including: vessel inspection and certification; type approval of certain equipment; equipment inspection and certification; and, audit and approval of safety management systems.

7.4 Participation in DSIP maintains marine safety while increasing efficiency and eliminating service duplication and aims to increase the effectiveness of vessel inspection and certification. The AR maintains their responsibilities under applicable Canadian legislation and International Conventions.

7.5 TCMSS monitors vessels enrolled in the program on a risk-based prioritization. The frequency and extent of monitoring depend on several factors including the type and size of the vessel, the operation of the vessel, and the historical performance of the RO and AR.

8 Date of application

8.1 The original version of this policy was approved by MSSE in December 2001.

8.2 The Marine Safety and Security Executive authorized the current review of this policy on August 1, 2021.

9 Review

9.1 This policy will be reviewed no later than three years from the date of its last revision.

10 RDIMS Reference

10.1 The English version of this document is found under RDIMS reference number 4791297. The applied naming convention is PUBLICATION – TP 13585 – POLICY – DELEGATED STATUTORY INSPECTION PROGRAM (DSIP).

10.2 La version française du présent document est dans le SGDDI et porte le numéro de référence 5743961. La règle d’affectation des noms est PUBLICATION — TP 13585 — POLITIQUE – PROGRAMME DE DÉLÉGATION DES INSPECTIONS OBLIGATOIRES (PDIO).

11 Keywords

Delegated Statutory Inspection Program
Recognized Organization
Authorized Representative

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