13.1 The ship should
be operated by a Company which has been issued with a Document of
Compliance or with an Interim Document of Compliance in accordance
with paragraph 14.1, relevant
to that ship.
13.2 The Document of
Compliance should be issued by the Administration, by an organization
recognized by the Administration or, at the request of the Administration,
by another Contracting Government to the Convention to any Company
complying with the requirements of this Code for a period specified
by the Administration which should not exceed five years. Such a document
should be accepted as evidence that the Company is capable of complying
with the requirements of this Code.
13.3 The Document of
Compliance is only valid for the ship types explicitly indicated in
the document. Such indication should be based on the types of ships
on which the initial verification was based. Other ship types should
only be added after verification of the Company"s capability to comply
with the requirements of this Code applicable to such ship types.
In this context, ship types are those referred to in regulation IX/1
of the Convention.
13.4 The validity of
a Document of Compliance should be subject to annual verification
by the Administration or by an organization recognized by the Administration
or, at the request of the Administration by another Contracting Government
within three months before or after the anniversary date.
13.5 The Document of
Compliance should be withdrawn by the Administration or, at its request,
by the Contracting Government which issued the document, when the
annual verification required in paragraph 13.4 is not requested or
if there is evidence of major non-conformities with this Code.
13.6 A copy of the Document
of Compliance should be placed on board in order that the master of
the ship, if so requested, may produce it for verification by the
Administration or by an organization recognized by the Administration
or for the purposes of the control referred to in regulation IX/6.2 of the Convention. The
copy of the document is not required to be authenticated or certified.
13.7 The Safety Management
Certificate should be issued to a ship for a period which should not
exceed five years by the Administration or an organization recognized
by the Administration or, at the request of the Administration, by
another Contracting Government. The Safety Management Certificate
should be issued after verifying that the Company and its shipboard
management operate in accordance with the approved safety management
system. Such a certificate should be accepted as evidence that the
ship is complying with the requirements of this Code.
13.8 The validity of
the Safety Management Certificate should be subject to at least one
intermediate verification by the Administration or an organization
recognized by the Administration or, at the request of the Administration,
by another Contracting Government. If only one intermediate verification
is to be carried out and the period of validity of the Safety Management
Certificate is five years, it should take place between the second
and third anniversary date of the Safety Management Certificate.
13.9 In addition to
the requirements of paragraph 13.5.1,
the Safety Management Certificate should be withdrawn by the Administration
or, at the request of the Administration, by the Contracting Government
which has issued it when the intermediate verification required in
paragraph 13.8 is not requested or if there is evidence of major non-conformity
with this Code.
13.10 Notwithstanding
the requirements of paragraphs 13.2 and 13.7, when the renewal verification
is completed within three months before the expiry date of the existing
Document of Compliance or Safety Management Certificate, the new Document
of Compliance or the new Safety Management Certificate should be valid
from the date of completion of the renewal verification for a period
not exceeding five years from the date of expiry of the existing Document
of Compliance or Safety Management Certificate.
13.11 When the renewal
verification is completed more than three months before the expiry
date of the existing Document of Compliance or Safety Management Certificate,
the new Document of Compliance or the new Safety Management Certificate
should be valid from the date of completion of the renewal verification
for a period not exceeding five years from the date of completion
of the renewal verification.
13.12 When the renewal verification is completed
after the expiry date of the existing Safety Management Certificate,
the new Safety Management Certificate should be valid from the date
of completion of the renewal verification to a date not exceeding
five years from the date of expiry of the existing Safety Management
Certificate.
13.13 If a renewal verification has been completed
and a new Safety Management Certificate cannot be issued or placed
on board the ship before the expiry date of the existing certificate,
the Administration or organization recognized by the Administration
may endorse the existing certificate and such a certificate should
be accepted as valid for a further period which should not exceed
five months from the expiry date.
13.14 If a ship at the time when a Safety Management
Certificate expires is not in a port in which it is to be verified,
the Administration may extend the period of validity of the Safety
Management Certificate but this extension should be granted only for
the purpose of allowing the ship to complete its voyage to the port
in which it is to be verified, and then only in cases where it appears
proper and reasonable to do so. No Safety Management Certificate should
be extended for a period of longer than three months, and the ship
to which an extension is granted should not, on its arrival in the
port in which it is to be verified, be entitled by virtue of such
extension to leave that port without having a new Safety Management
Certificate. When the renewal verification is completed, the new Safety
Management Certificate should be valid to a date not exceeding five
years from the expiry date of the existing Safety Management Certificate
before the extension was granted.