Ship Inspection

Port Health Authorities (PHAs) are responsible for the enforcement of infectious disease controls at ports. With over 90% of world trade being carried out by the international shipping industry (with around 50,000 merchant ships) and international travel undertaken by large and ever-increasing numbers, shipping presents a risk of spreading disease around the world.

The Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979 (as amended) provide powers to apply health controls on ships. These include: the inspection of incoming ships; issuance of ship sanitation certificates; the examination of people and; authorises measures to be taken to prevent danger to public health.

Ship Inspection

Manchester Port Health Authority undertake routine boarding inspections of vessels entering the district. There are a number of reasons for officers to visit a ship, these include: the completion of checks on crew and passenger health; infectious disease control; food hygiene inspections; water and food sampling; assessment of the sanitary condition of the ship; pest control; to inspect cargo and investigate pollution incidents and the issuing of ship sanitation certificates under the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979 (as amended). Each inspection is completed in accordance with a risk-based approach.

Ship Sanitation Certificates

The International Health Regulations replace the deratting/deratting-exemption certificates previously issued under the previous Regulations with ship sanitation control/exemption control certificates. Ship sanitation certificates are designed to prevent international vessels from causing a public health risk and cover all areas of ship borne public health risks including crew health, vector control, potable water, ballast water and food safety controls.

Ship sanitation certificates are issued by port health officers and environmental health officers following an inspection of the ship and are valid for 6 months. Ship sanitation certificates may only be issued at ports that have been authorised by the World Health Organisation (WHO) to do so. A list of authorised ports can be found on the World Health Organisation Website.

If the ship inspection is satisfactory, a ship sanitation exemption certificate will be issued. If public health risks are found on board, the port health authority will issue a ship sanitation control certificate stating the controls that are required to remedy the risks.

Handbook for Inspection of Ships and Issuance of Ship Sanitation Certificates

Charges for Inspection of Ships

The Association of Port Health Authorities (Environmental Health and Hygiene Committee) agreed at its meeting of 6th December 2007 to recommend to its members a standard charging regime for the issue of Ship Sanitation Exemption and Ship Sanitation Control Certificates in the UK.  These charges were reviewed on 1st April 2024.

Ship Inspection Charges

Extra charges may be added for exceptional costs such as lengthy journeys to the port or laboratories, out of hours visits and samples taken.

If you would like to arrange for a new Ship Sanitation Certificate to be issued, please CONTACT US

You can see what ships are on the Manchester Ship Canal using the VesselFinder website.

Symptoms of Infectious Disease on Board

The Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979 (as amended) make it a requirement for ships arriving from a foreign port (defined as outside the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland), to report any suspected infectious disease or death on board amongst crew, passengers or animals/birds to the Port Health Authority by way of a Maritime Declaration of Health (MDoH).

Reportable incidents include:

(a) The occurrence on board a ship before its arrival of:

i. The death of a person otherwise than as a result of an accident, or

ii. Illness where the person who is ill has or had a temperature of 38^oC or greater which was accompanied by a rash, glandular swelling or jaundice, or where such temperature persisted for more than 48 hours, or

iii. Illness where the person has or had diarrhoea severe enough to interfere with work or normal activities;

(b) The presence on board of a person who is suffering from an infectious diseases or tuberculosis or who has symptoms which may indicate the presence of an infectious disease or tuberculosis;

(c) Any other circumstances on board which are likely to cause the spread of infectious disease, or other danger to public health; and

(d) The presence of animals or captive birds, and the occurrence of mortality or sickness amongst such animals or birds.

Reports should be made not more than 12 hours and wherever practical, not less than 4 hours before the expected arrival of the ship. Where this is not possible, the Port Health Authority should be notified immediately upon arrival.

Maritime Declaration of Health