The International Safety Management Code (ISM) was drawn up to establish marine safety-management principles. Adherence to the code became mandatory in 1998, after which it was adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The purpose of the code is to provide an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention. The International Safety Management Code requires companies to develop, implement and maintain a safety management system.
The code establishes management objectives that provide for safe practices in ship operation. In addition, the code establishes principles for safe working environments and for ongoing improvement in managerial skills of personnel. The code also establishes objectives to safeguard against identified risks. It requires that a safety management system be put in place by the ship owner or by any other person who has the responsibility to operate the vessel.
The International Safety Management Code imposes principles relating to human safety at sea and at port. Safe practices in ship operation and safe working areas, both aboard vessels and at port, are required, to prevent human injury and loss of human life. Staff are required to be safeguarded against identified risks and provision must be made for ongoing contingency planning and safety management courses, as appropriate to the various personnel. Staff, both on vessels at sea and on shore duty, must be kept, through training, in a state of preparedness for emergency situations. To achieve these principles, it is required of personnel to comply with any and all guidelines that have been recommended by the International safety Management Code and any maritime industry organization, as deemed appropriate (refer Reference 2).
The code makes provisions for an environmental protection policy, which defines lines of communication between shipboard and shore personnel and defines procedures for reporting accidents. The code also makes provisions for reporting emergencies and for internal management and audit reviews. Each ship owner is required to both initiate and execute policies for attaining these objectives, which includes providing the correct resources and land-based support structures. Every ship owner is required to designate a shore-based person, who has direct access to the highest level of management. The code defines the authority and responsibility of the master of the ship and emphasizes the value of ongoing personnel training. Ship owners are required to be prepared to deal with emergencies and ensure that regular inspections of their ships are carried out. In the final analysis, the code instructs that the responsibility for ensuring compliance rests with the government.
