Question 1

You are asked: while in port, an unidentified person attempts to board the vessel claiming to be a contractor, but has no documentation and is not on the expected visitor list. What is the correct procedure?

Accepted Answer

Politely but firmly deny access, request the person wait while their identity and purpose are verified through appropriate channels (contacting the agent, port facility security, or the company directly), and record the incident; do not allow access until verification is satisfactorily completed Access control is a fundamental element of the Ship Security Plan, and an unverified individual attempting to board without documentation represents exactly the scenario access control procedures are designed to address — denying access pending verification is the appropriate default response and does not require an adversarial escalation to police unless the situation develops suspiciously. "Keeping an eye on them" while allowing access defeats the purpose of access control, since an individual with malicious intent (whether for theft, stowaway purposes, or more serious security concerns) only needs brief unsupervised access to cause harm, and recording such incidents helps identify patterns that might indicate a developing security concern at a particular port facility.

Question 2

Your vessel receives notification that the port you are heading to has raised its Security Level from 1 to 2. As the designated Ship Security Officer (or officer on watch), what should happen?

Accepted Answer

Implement the additional security measures specified in the Ship Security Plan for Security Level 2 (e.g. increased monitoring of restricted areas, additional checks on visitors/stores, more frequent security patrols) before arrival, and acknowledge/report the change as required The Ship Security Plan defines specific additional measures for each security level. A change in level requires the vessel to implement the corresponding measures promptly — ideally before arrival — and this is a core ISPS Code obligation.

Question 3

What is the purpose of designating "restricted areas" on board under the Ship Security Plan?

Accepted Answer

To control access to areas where security-sensitive information, equipment, or cargo is held (e.g. bridge, engine room, security equipment stores), preventing unauthorised access that could compromise the security of the ship, crew, passengers or cargo Restricted areas are a core ISPS measure — limiting access to sensitive spaces reduces the risk of unauthorised interference, sabotage, or security breaches, and access control to these areas is checked during security drills and audits.