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Inspection of empty ship holds is carried out by the PQ officer, usually either
at mooring or in special circumstances at outer anchorage or mid sea, immediately
upon arrival of vessel at the designated port before granting permission for loading
of the grain into the vessel. Upon boarding the vessel, the PQ officer shall contact
the master of the vessel and obtain relevant information regarding the shipping
viz., name of vessel, origin, previous ports visited, last cargo carried, last fumigation/disinfestation
of ship holds, number of hatches and hatch-wise grain capacity, air-vent system,
CO2 piping, hatch-plan and request for opening of hatches to facilitate inspection.
The PQ officer shall get into hatches through the manhole and inspect the wooden
dunnage at the bottom and sides of the vessel, if any, and bilges for any grain
collections and live infestation. He also inspects cat-comb area of phantoons and
side ribs of hatches for the same. At the end of hatch inspection the PQ officer
shall record the details of ship inspection in prescribed format.
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