Ship Sanitations

All Vessels on international voyages need a ship sanitation exemption certificate (SSEC) to demonstrate compliance with maritime and quarantine rules specified in article 9 of the international health regulations 2005 issued by the World Health Organisation. If may be required for permission to enter some ports.

Ship sanitation control exemption certificates/ ship sanitation control certificates are issued by the port health authority to identify and record all areas of a ship-borne public health risk, together with any required control measures to be applied. The certificates are valid for six months period and can be renewed at any port authorised by the World Health Organisation to issues renewals.

See listed of authorised Ports- IHR POE List (who.int)

What documentation do you require?

It is essential that the port health authority is presented with relevant documentation to assist with the completion of the ship’s sanitation inspection. The documents that should be presented includes:

• A copy of the previous ship’s sanitation certificate
• Maritime Declaration of health (if applicable) _ provide in advance
• The last set of microbiological water results
• Medical log
• Garbage log
• Food safety management system (temperature records, cleaning schedules)
• Ballast Log

This information should be made available during the inspection

Once an agreed time and date have been confirmed an officer will attend and carry out a ship sanitation inspection, during the visit it will be expected that various areas of the vessel will be inspected, these may include:

• Galley
• Crew and Passengers accommodation
• Stores
• Waste storage
• Hospital
• Swimming pool/ spas
• Ballast water
• Childcare facilities
• Cargo hold
• Engine room
• Sewage
• Potable Water

The charge regime for ship sanitation certificates is based upon the gross tonnage of the vessel and number of passengers.

Current charges are listed on our Port Health charges page.

Extra charges may be added for cost such as launch hire (at the discretion of the port operator/ harbour master), out-of-hours duties or re inspections of the ships due to controlled measures.

Ship sanitation certificates are valid for six months. This period may be extended by one month if the inspection or control measures required cannot be accomplished at the port. An extension allows a ship to reach a port at which the inspection and necessary controlled measures can be performed, without the necessity to travel with an expired certificate.

An extension may be granted up to 30 days before the expiry date of the existing ship sanitation certificate. However, the ship sanitation certificate cannot be extended for longer than 30 days after the expiry date of the certificate.

We can take water samples for bacteriological testing including analysis for E. coil, coliforms, Aerobic colony counts or legionella on request. These are currently limited to visits on Monday to Thursday. A laboratory report will be provided when available.

A charge is made for this service. Please refer to our Port Health charges page.

Please enquire about availability by filling out this online form; Ship Sanitation (dover.gov.uk)

Our inspecting officers will require safe access to and within the vessel. For cargo vessels and other non-passenger vessels, this means that you must provide the following:

• A properly fixed gangway leading from the quay to the deck of the vessel (ideally direct to the deck through a gated access point and not rested or secured to a handrail). A vertical ladder or access nets are not acceptable.
• If the vessel does not have a direct access to deck level, for instance the gangway is on the handrail, then the gangway must be properly secured to the vessel and a means of reaching the deck such as a properly constructed ladder, provided.
• All gangways must be fitted with at least one (and preferably two) parallel handrails along the entire length of both sides of the gangway. These may be rope fitted so as to be taut and secure.
• The gangway must be stepped and/or slip resistant (as appropriate to the tide and incline of the gangway).
• The gangway must have a net fitted beneath the entire length of the gangway.
• A member of the crew or agent's team must be available to transport any equipment required by the Port Health Officer to the vessel from the quayside.
• Access to the vessel must not require officers to pass beneath or in the vicinity of loading or unloading operations.
• In all cases the Port Health Officer will make a decision if access is safe. If, in the opinion of the Port Health Officer, safe access is not possible then a ship sanitation inspection will not be carried out (but you may still be charged). Where possible we will issue an extension to any existing unexpired certificate.