The shipowner's body says in a few cases these "homemade" versions of Guardcon use wording that is different to that found in the genuine document and may lessen the liabilities and responsibilities of PMSCs.
"As these changes are not clearly marked in the text because the contract has not been produced in IDEA2, it may be quite difficult for a shipowner to detect the differences," Bimco warned.
Guardcon is available to the industry through a single distribution point – BIMCO's online contract editing system, IDEA2.
Bimco says this secure system ensures that users have access to genuine and authentic copies of contracts and that any amendments agreed by the parties are clearly displayed.
"Using fake or homemade copies of Guardcon undermines the tremendous benefits of efficiency, familiarity and reliability that the harmonised terms and conditions of the contract have brought to the industry," it adds.
Bimco warns that signing a fake Guardcon that may contain subtle amendments to the liability provisions could prove to be a costly error for a shipowner if something goes wrong.
"We strongly recommend that owners verify the source of any Guardcon contract they are presented with to establish that it has been printed directly from IDEA2.
"If in doubt, you can contact the Bimco Secretariat and they will do a verification check for you."
Bimco launced the Guardcon standard contract for the employment of security guards on vessels just over three years ago.
It was introduced in the absence of a standard contract, which left shipowners and their P&I Clubs with the difficult and time-consuming task of assessing large numbers of contracts from security companies.
