In order to guarantee the safety of crews, passengers and the environment, section 316 of the Canada Shipping Act stipulates that, subject to sections 405 to 407, the great majority of Canadian merchant ships must be inspected to obtain an inspection certificate attesting to their seaworthiness.

These ships must be inspected while under construction and at specific intervals thereafter, depending on their type, tonnage and place of operation.

To prevent problems, “technical” inspectors examine and approve construction plans submitted by designers to ensure project compliance with regulations before ships are built or modified. They must also closely inspect structural drawings and specifications, details about intact stability and, in cases of damaged stability, drawings and specifications of engines, propulsion machinery and mechanisms, electrical systems and installations, fire suppression equipment and rescue equipment. (The ship’s materials and equipment will have been pre-approved through prototype tests.)

During shipyard inspections, ship inspectors check the structure and the propulsion machinery for safety and reliability, and ensure that fire suppression, rescue, navigation and communications equipment is in good working order. They are also responsible for ensuring that officers’ qualifications comply with regulatory requirements.

Once they have determined that the ship is safe and complies with applicable regulations, they issue an inspection certificate attesting to the ship’s seaworthiness. These certificate(s) must be in plain view on board the ship.

Any ship involved in a marine casualty must be inspected to ensure that it has been restored to a condition of seaworthiness before putting out to sea. These inspections are also carried out for marine casualties involving one or more foreign vessels and have an impact on harbour control and pollution prevention activities.