U.S. COAST GUARD
MARINE SAFETY CENTER

WASHINGTON, D.C

Tank Vessel/Offshore Division

Vessel and Cargo Branch (C1):

The Marine Safety Center's Vessel and Cargo Branch conducts plan review for certain vessels certificated under 46 CFR Subchapters D, I, L, and O. The table below provides additional guidance on the Vessel and Cargo Branch responsibilities.

If you have any questions, please contact the Vessel and Cargo Branch Chief at (202) 795-6778.

Vessel Types	Type of Reviews Conducted
Tankships & Tank Barges (Sub-D &/or O) Offshore Supply Vessels (Sub-L) Industrial Vessels (Sub-I)	Structures Stability Structural Fire Protection General Arrangements Vapor Control Systems Procedures & Arrangements Manual Volatile Organic Compound Manual
Tankships & Tank Barges (Sub-D &/or O)	Cargo Authority Attachment
Oil Spill Response Vessels (Sub-D) Oil Field Waste Barges (Sub-D) Dredges (Sub-I)	Structures Stability Structural Fire Protection General Arrangements Vapor Control Systems
Foreign Gas Carriers (IGC Code)	Subchapter O Endorsement
Foreign Tank Vessels	Double Block & Bleed for Non-Nitrogen Inert Gas Systems

If a topic is not listed in the table above, then the issue is typically handled by another Branch at the MSC, or by Coast Guard Headquarters.

The following requests should be submitted to the Office of Design and Engineering Standards, Hazardous Materials Division (CG-ENG-5):

Facility Vapor Control System Approvals (contact CG_FAC as appropriate)
Requests for cargo carriage requirement determinations for cargoes not specifically listed in 46 CFR 30.25-1, Table 151.05, 153 Table 1, 153 Table 2, 154 Table 4, 33 CFR 151.47 or 33 CFR 151.49
Request for the carriage of packaged hazardous, flammable or combustible liquids

Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Branch (C2):

The Marine Safety Center's Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Branch conducts plan review for OCS facilities, lifeboats, and portable accommodation modules. A general list of responsibilities include:

Vessel Types	Type of Reviews Conducted
OCS Facilities	Structures Stability Structural Fire Protection General Arrangements In-Service Inspection Plans (ISIP)* Marine Operations Manuals (MOM)* Structural Integrity Management (SIM)*
Liftboats	Structures Stability Structural Fire Protection General Arrangements Operating Manuals*
Potable Accommodation Modules	Review of Module Review of Installation

* Reviewed jointly with the Coast Guard Eighth District Outer Continental Shelf (OSC) Officer in Charge, Marine Inspections (OCMI), or the local OCMI in the case of Liftboat Operating Manuals
** Reviewed jointly with other MSC Divisions as appropriate and OCMI

If a topic is not listed in the table above, then the issue is typically handled by another Branch at the MSC, or by Coast Guard Headquarters. The OCS Branch also provides technical support to OCS OCMI and field units as appropriate. The MSC does not conduct reviews for determining Life Extensions within the offshore fleet. However, concerns relating to this or any other topic appropriate within the OCS community may be forwarded to MSC@uscg.mil as appropriate.

If you have any questions please contact the OCS Branch chief at 202-795-6773.

Tank Vessel Offshore Division Helpful Documents:

Branch	Review Type	Documents
C1	Subchapter O Endorsements	SOE Checklist CTVIS*
	Cargo Authority Tank Group Characteristics Form (TGCLF)	46 CFR 151 TGCLF 46 CFR 153 TGCLF MARPOL Annex II (IBC Code) TGCLF
	Cargo Authority General Guidance	Cargo Authority Attachment Techie Talk Note: Please open in "Presentation Mode" Vessel Carriage Flow Chart Rev. 2021
	Vapor Control Systems (VCS)	VCS Form VCS Guidelines VCS Categories
C1/C2	Plan Review Guides (PRGs) for All Divisional Reviews "C1 and C2" Titled	Quick Link

*Foreign flagged chemical carriers do not require a Subchapter O Endorsement from MSC. The requirements for foreign flagged chemical carriers operating in U.S. waters are detailed in the Chemical Tank Vessel Information Sheet (CTVIS).

Helpful Links: