Maritime Safety Culture: ISM Code

• Lecture 11 is about maritime safety culture.

Introduction

• Safety is the top priority for shipping, especially given the mental demands on seafarers.
• Focus on the human element of seafarers and their mental wellbeing has become a key consideration.

Safety Culture

• Safety culture is a shared set of values, attitudes, and practices among management and personnel.
• Effective safety culture requires strong commitment from top leadership and full engagement from all stakeholders.
• A safety culture is seen when every employee believes in safety and considers it in every decision.
• Safety culture is measured by what people do when they are not being watched.
• Analogously, would people speed if there were no speed cameras?
• A true safety culture exists if people follow the rules even if it costs more time or money.

International Safety Management (ISM) Code

• The International Safety Management (ISM) Code was created in 1993.
• The ISM provides an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships at sea.
• It was formally integrated into the SOLAS Convention in 1994.
• The ISM Code seeks to ensure the safety of seafarers, ships, cargo, and the environment.
• The purpose of the ISM is to prevent pollution at sea.
• The purpose of the ISM is to ensure the safety of life at sea.
• The purpose of the ISM is to prevent human injury or loss of life at sea.
• The purpose of the ISM is to avoid damage to the environment and ship.
• The basic principles of ISM is the safety of people on board.
• The basic principles of ISM is the safety of the ship and cargo.
• The basic principles of ISM is the safety of the environment.

Application of the ISM Code

• The Code became compulsory for passenger ships, oil tankers, chemical tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers, and cargo high-speed craft of 500 gt and upwards on July 1, 1998.
• It became compulsory for other cargo ships and mobile offshore units of 500 gt and upwards on July 1, 2002.

Safety Management System

• The requirements that crew members effectively implement all safety policies.
• It is mandatory for all ships to follow and implement the ISM Code by the Safety Management System (SMS).
• The SMS involves the establishment of a managerial team to oversee proceedings.
• The SMS involves ensuring managerial officers perform their duties and responsibilities.
• The SMS involves identifying the differences between the outlined responsibilities and the actions to resolve issues, if any occur.
• The SMS conducts internal and external audits to eliminate safety issues and to verify compliance with the code's standards.

Certificates of Compliance

• A Document of Compliance (DOC) is a certificate verifying that the company and the ship personnel are operating according to the code.
• There is also a manual of information, records, reports, or statements that indicate the implementation of safety management systems and policies by the company and ship.
• Documentation will be proof of evidence based on observations.

Process of Getting Conformance

• The internal audit is self-conducted by the company and ship.
• External audits are performed every 2–3 years by the ship's flag state.
• If the vessel incorporates all safety requirements, the company receives a Certification of Safety Management or the Safety Management Certificate.
• Non-conformity occurs when documentation shows a failure by the company and its ships to uphold the ISM Code.
• Major non-conformity shows an extreme failure in effective ISM Code implementation, requiring immediate corrective action.