scope:

This Publicly Available Specification establishes a framework to assist marine port facilities in specifying the competence of personnel to conduct a marine port facility security assessment and developing a security plan as required by the ISPS Code, conducting the marine port facility security assessment, and drafting a Port Facility Security Plan (PFSP). In addition, this Publicly Available Specification establishes certain documentation requirements designed to ensure that the process used in performing the duties described above was recorded in a manner that would permit independent verification by a qualified and authorized agency (if the port facility has agreed to the review). It is not an objective of this Publicly Available Specification to set standards for a contracting government or designated authority in designating a Recognized Security Organization (RSO), or to impose the use of an outside service provider or other third party to perform the marine port facility security assessment or security plan if the port facility personnel possess the expertise outlined in this specification. A port infrastructure that falls outside the security perimeter of a marine port facility might affect the security of the facility/ship interface. This Publicly Available Specification does not address the requirements of the ISPS Code relative to such infrastructures. However, ship operators may be informed that ports receiving cargo from other ports that do use this Publicly Available Specification meet an industry-determined level of adequate security and the ISPS Code. State governments have a duty to protect their populations and infrastructures from marine incidents occurring outside their marine port facilities. These duties are outside the scope of this Publicly Available Specification.