Port Facility Security Plan

PFSP

Communications and communication systems are very important instrumental axes for security measures. First of all, are the procedures for interfacing with ship security activities. (Reference: ISPS Code, Part A, paragraph 16.3.7) and the so-called Surveillance.

The port facility security organisation shall have the ability to monitor the port facility and its access, on land and in the water, at all times, including hours and night periods of limited visibility. In addition to this, the Security Organisation must have the possibility to randomly monitor the restricted areas within the port facility, the ships moored and the areas surrounding the ships. Such monitoring may include the use of (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraph 16.49): lighting; security guards, including foot, vehicle and water patrols; automatic intrusion detection devices and surveillance equipment.

In the port facility there is an Operational Security (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraph 16.22) which provides for access control to ensure that all areas are monitored to establish:

• Access by individuals;
• Entry, parking, loading and unloading of vehicles;
• Handling and storage of goods and ship's stores;
• Unaccompanied baggage or personal effects.

At the checkpoints, those in charge of specific security tasks must be able to verify the identity of all persons attempting to enter the port facility in connection with a ship.

In addition, the PFSP should establish the means of identification necessary to allow access to the port facility for facility personnel and their visitors (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraphs 16.12 and 16.17.2). At the gates or access points to the Port Facility, the individual identities of passengers, ship personnel and visitors are also verified, but above all the reasons for access are verified by security personnel, for example, access instructions, tickets passengers, boarding passes, work orders, etc. A document exchange may be used whereby the visitor must hand over a government-issued ID in exchange for a visitor pass that must be exhibited (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraph 16.17.2).

All vehicles or heavy goods vehicles attempting to enter the port facility in connection with a ship are checked at gates or access points (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraph 16.17). In the PFSP, inventory control procedures or cargo manifests are also established at the ship access points. Once checked, the cargo should be able to be identified as approved for loading onto the ship. In addition, security measures should be developed to ensure that cargo, once on board, is not tampered with (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraph 9.26). Cargo control procedures involve the ship, its suppliers and the port facility in relation to information, notifications and timing of deliveries with their related documentation. 

Deliveries, the means they deliver and their drivers must be accompanied by proof that they have been ordered from the ship (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraph 9.34). In the case of passengers, they must be able to prove their identity by means of boarding passes, tickets, etc., but they will not be allowed access to restricted areas unless supervised by security personnel. Those unwilling or unable to establish their identity and the purpose of their visit when requested by the port facility security personnel should be denied access to the facility and consequently to the ship (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraphs 9.11 and 9.12).

The Port Facility Security Plan should address procedures to facilitate shore leave for ship personnel or personnel changes, as well as access for visitors to the ship, including representatives of seafarers' labour and social organisations. Foreign crew members should be allowed ashore by public authorities while the ship they arrive on is in port, provided that the formalities upon arrival of the ship have been fulfilled and there is no reason to refuse permission to go ashore for reasons of public utility health, public safety or public order (Reference: ISPS Code, Part A, paragraph 16.3.15). The Port Facility Security Plan establish the control points where searches of persons, personal effects, vehicles and their contents may be applied. All those seeking access to the port facility should be liable to search. The frequency of such searches, including random searches (Reference: ISPS Code, Part B, paragraphs 16.17.6 and 16.18).