Declaration of Security (DoS)
Provisions
The responsibilities between a ship and a port facility or another ship have to be established in the Declaration of Security. This holds in particular for a shift in responsibilities, for the various security levels and for dealings with ships and port facilities that are not bound by the ISPS requirements. At the same time, the requirements of the ISPS-Codes need to be complied with.
The German flag state sets mandatory requirements in case a Declaration of Security with section 1 of § 9 of the "See-Eigensicherungsverordnung" (Ordinance on Shipboard Security Measures, SeeEigensichV) is required:
| Object 1 | Object 2 | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| ISPS vessel | NON-ISPS vessel | § 9 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 (= own DoS because SSO or PFSO not named) |
| ISPS vessel | NON-ISPS port facility | § 9 Abs. 1 Nr. 1 (= own DoS because SSO or PFSO not named) |
| ISPS vessel security level > | ISPS vessel security level < | § 9 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 |
| ISPS vessel security level < | ISPS vessel security level > | § 9 Abs. 1 Nr. 2 |
| ISPS vessel security level > | ISPS port facility security level < | § 9 Abs. 1 Nr. 3 |
Moreover, completion of a DoS is urgently recommended whenever responsibilities laid down in a vessel’s SSP are transferred to the port facility, e.g. ID checks, luggage inspections etc. Without a DoS, the SSO in such cases will have difficulties providing evidence for such transfer of responsibilities. That also applies to the transfer of responsibilities to another ship (e.g. in case of rafts of laid-up ships).
Additional useful information about DoS
Ships calling routinely at certain ports, always with identical framework conditions, have the possibility under Sec. 9 (4), Ordinance on Shipboard Security Measures, to conclude a permanent DoS for a period of maximally 1 year. The conclusion of a permanent DoS requires written approval from the BSH. Applications for approval can be submitted informally to the BSH. A signed DoS form and a detailed description of the above conditions must be enclosed with the application.
Under Sec. 9 (6), Ordinance on Shipboard Security Measures, the DoS must be kept on board German vessels for at least one year from the date of issue.
The form of the DoS must comply with the notification by the Federal Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing (VkBl. 13/2004, S.
383) (see BSH website).
Specimen
The following specimens comply with the requirements (see also Verkehrsblatt 13/2004 in German only):
- Specimen Declaration of Security (DoS ship-port)
- Specimen Declaration of Security (DoS ship-ship)