Operational guide · Maintenance and reliability

Planned Maintenance System (PMS) and Auxiliary Machinery

The PMS connects equipment to planned jobs, due dates and maintenance outcomes. Planned maintenance remains traceable when defects, incomplete work and deferrals are visible too.

ISM CodePMSauxiliary machinerymaintenance

Operational Explanation

The Planned Maintenance System (PMS) organises the activities needed to maintain the ship and its equipment in conformity with applicable requirements. For each item it connects planned jobs to reference instructions, due dates, responsibilities and maintenance history.

For auxiliary machinery — such as pumps, compressors and generators — it tracks maintenance, inspections and functional tests. Standby availability must be verified through the measures specified for that ship. Equipment identified as critical requires specific reliability measures; the label alone sets neither an interval nor a spare quantity.

Closing a job should make clear what was actually done and what the outcome was. A moved due date or a ticked box does not, by itself, show that the work was completed.

Regulatory Reference

ISM Code, section 10: paragraph 10.1 addresses maintenance procedures; 10.2 connects inspections, non-conformity reporting, corrective action and records; 10.3 addresses equipment whose sudden failure may create hazardous situations and its reliability measures; 10.4 integrates these checks into routine maintenance.

Paragraph 10.3 includes regular testing of standby arrangements and equipment not in continuous use. It specifies neither general numerical intervals nor universal inventories. For intervals, methods and spare availability, identify the sources relevant to the ship: statutory and class requirements, maker instructions and the Company's SMS. ISM Code, §§10.1–10.4 — consulted EMSA 2018 text.

A useful record connects the equipment and job to the due date, actual date, outcome, responsible person and any follow-up. This is a learning aid for traceability; fields, approvals and retention follow the ship's system.

The amended opening of 10.3 was also checked against the original instrument and its amendment: IMO MSC.273(85), amendment to §10.3.

Scope of Application

This page covers maintenance management of the ship and its equipment on ships subject to the ISM Code, with particular attention to auxiliary machinery. The PMS also includes equipment that is not classified as critical.

The SMS identifies critical equipment through the consequences of failure and defines how to maintain its reliability. Configuration, redundancy, service conditions, maker instructions and applicable requirements determine the details to use on board.

Procedure / How to Complete It

Identify the job. Check the equipment identifier, planned task, due date and source of the interval. Distinguish a PMS task from a statutory or class survey or test.
Prepare the work. Consult the ship's instructions and identify the responsible person, personnel, spares and tools. Assess the effect on plant availability and arrange the required isolations, permits and coordination.
Perform and verify. Follow the authorised method. Compare the outcome with the applicable criteria; starting successfully or completing the steps does not by itself demonstrate a passed test.
Record the outcome. Enter the work actually carried out, date, results and observations in the prescribed record. Link useful measurements, reports or attachments.
Manage defects and incomplete work. Report the defect and its possible cause, if known. Identify the remaining activity, responsible person and follow-up; apply the SMS measures for equipment availability.
Manage deferral or delay. Retain the link to the original job and document the reason, consequences, temporary measures and decision under the SMS. A software change grants no extension of a statutory or class requirement.
Close and review. Close the job when its outcome and follow-up have been verified under the procedure. Review the plan and reliability measures after modifications, failures or significant events.

Practical Example

Learning scenario. A ship's SMS identifies a standby cooling pump as critical because loss of its function, in the configuration considered, could affect main-engine availability. The PMS specifies a functional test with a method, interval and acceptance criteria derived from that ship's sources.

The test outcome fails to meet a specified criterion. The responsible person records the equipment, job, date, outcome and abnormal observation, then initiates defect reporting and the follow-up required by the SMS. If a spare is needed, the job remains visible with the reason for non-completion and the authorised measures for managing unavailability.

After corrective work, the prescribed verification is performed and its result is linked to closure. No interval is given in this example: it must be read in the PMS and sources applicable to that ship.

What Typically Goes Wrong

The history can look orderly while the machinery still has a defect: a job is closed as 'done', no result is entered and the repair is left in a separate note. The next watch then struggles to determine whether the equipment is available, whether the test passed and who must complete the follow-up.

Backlog is another weak point: repeated deferrals without visible consequences keep the plan's dates updated while concealing the actual condition of the plant.

Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake	Consequence	How to Avoid It
Closing a job with a generic statement and no outcome.	Completed work, a failed test and an open defect become indistinguishable.	Record the actual task, outcome and follow-up; use the PMS's defined statuses.
Moving a due date without a traceable deferral.	The delay, risk and decision taken disappear from view.	Retain the reference due date and document the deferral under the SMS and applicable requirements.
Assuming a standby unit is ready because it has not been used.	Failure of the running unit may reveal that the reserve is unavailable too.	Schedule and perform the prescribed standby tests and record their outcomes.
Deriving intervals or inventories from critical classification alone.	The plan may use unsuitable or unsupported values.	Link intervals, methods and spares to sources relevant to the ship.

What the PSCO Checks

An inspection may compare the machinery's actual condition with maintenance organisation: persistent leaks, temporary repairs or unavailable functions can justify closer examination. The personnel concerned need to find and understand the relevant instructions and explain how tests, records and defects are managed.

Prepare evidence connecting a selected activity to its outcome and any corrective action. This page provides no exhaustive PSC question list: the scope and depth depend on the inspection. IMO A.1206(34), appendices 6 and 7.

Operational Tips

Use the equipment identifier in defect reports, spare requests and attachments so that follow-up stays recognisable.
Make unavailable equipment, failed tests and work affecting the plant configuration visible during watch handover.
Describe a defect through observations and the comparison criterion; distinguish an established cause from a hypothesis.
Review backlog with the responsible person identified in the SMS, including missing spares and dependencies on shore work.
Use the 'Critical Spare Parts Management' page for inventory strategy, without turning this page into a universal spare list.

Preparation checklist

Equipment and job identified; instructions and source of the interval traceable.
Due date distinguished from any statutory or class requirements.
Responsible person, personnel, tools, spares and safe conditions checked.
Acceptance criteria and verification method available.
Record ready to describe task, date, outcome and defects.
Defects, incomplete work and deferrals visible with a responsible person and follow-up.
For critical equipment, reliability measures and standby tests traceable.

FAQ

Does the PMS cover only critical equipment?

No. It organises maintenance of the ship and its equipment. Criticality adds specific reliability measures and testing of relevant standby arrangements without removing maintenance of other equipment.

Does ISM 10.3 set an interval or a minimum inventory?

The paragraph requires identification, reliability measures and regular testing; it contains no general numerical intervals or universal inventories. Sources relevant to the ship must be applied to the individual item and may contain specific requirements.

Can I close a job if the spare is missing?

Represent accurately what was done and what remains, using the statuses and approvals prescribed by the PMS/SMS. A missing spare does not demonstrate completion; the defect and follow-up must remain visible.

What should I do when a job is overdue?

Assess and document the delay under the SMS and applicable requirements: reason, effect on availability, necessary measures and the responsible person's decision. Moving the software date proves no work and extends no statutory or class deadline.

Does the ISM Code require a particular PMS software product?

Section 10 requires maintenance management with inspections, action and records. It prescribes no software product. Documentation format and data control must follow the SMS and applicable requirements.