Joint plan of operations

A joint plan of operation is the agreed procedure governing a ship-to-ship transfer of liquid cargo, covering both vessels and the transfer organizer. It is drawn from the ICS and OCIMF Ship to Ship Transfer Guide and supports the STS operations plan that oil tankers of 150 GT and above must carry under MARPOL Annex I Chapter 8 Regulation 41, approved by the Administration. The plan sets mooring and fendering arrangements, communications, transfer rates and pressures, watch and emergency stop procedures, and pollution response, all under a Person in Overall Advisory Control (POAC). It is reviewed at the pre-transfer conference and checked against the STS checklists.