(1) The office may screen any cargo or passenger vessel, except fishing vessels and vessels subject to chapter 317-21 WAC, entering or operating in state waters to determine a vessel's potential risk based on vessel information collected by the office. The office may collect information from any source, including the owner and operator, other public agencies, or by inspection. A vessel's potential risk is based on vessel information relating to factors that are risk predictors and that include, but are not limited to:

(a) Vessel age;

(b) Vessel type;

(c) Redundancy of mechanical, navigational, and electrical generation systems;

(d) Country of registry (flag);

(e) Classification society;

(f) Owner;

(g) Presence of a state-licensed pilot while in state waters;

(h) Changes in ownership, country of registry, or classification society;

(i) History of violations of international, federal, and state laws and regulations;

(j) History of marine casualties; and

(k) Key personnel history.

(2) The risk factors are arranged in a matrix and assigned a risk weight according to a factor's impact on safe marine transportation. The greater impact a factor has results in a higher risk weight. Risk weights are based on opinions of expert mariners experienced in marine transportation in state waters and data supplied by the office's vessel boarding program. Vessel information is evaluated through the matrix to calculate a vessel's potential risk.