The ISM Code

The ISM Code is the International Safety Management Code from the IMO. It is mandatory under SOLAS Chapter IX. Its message is simple: safety comes from managed, documented routines - not from luck.

The objectives are to ensure safety at sea, prevent human injury and loss of life, and avoid damage to the environment and to property. Every requirement in the Code serves these goals.

The heart of the Code is the Safety Management System (SMS): the company's documented way of running its ships safely. It must be scaled to the company - a fishing vessel needs a simpler system than an offshore fleet.

An SMS must contain: a safety and environmental policy; instructions and procedures; defined authority and communication lines; reporting of accidents and non-conformities; emergency preparedness; internal audits with management review.

The company must provide safe practices in operation, assess all identified risks and establish safeguards, and continuously improve the safety skills of personnel ashore and on board.

The DPA monitors safety and pollution prevention and makes sure the vessel gets the resources and shore support it needs - with direct access to top management. On small vessels one person may hold several roles, but the function must exist.

The master implements the safety policy on board, issues clear orders, verifies that routines are followed, and reviews the SMS, reporting deficiencies to shore. The master has overriding authority: safety decisions come before commercial pressure.

Key operations get procedures, plans and checklists, and risks are assessed before work starts. Emergency situations are identified in advance and drilled regularly - with real learning value, not just a signature in a log.

Non-conformities, near-misses and accidents are reported, investigated and corrected - and the corrective action is verified. Ship and equipment are maintained on a plan, with critical equipment identified and tested at set intervals.

Certification proves the system works: the company is audited and receives a Document of Compliance (DOC); each vessel receives a Safety Management Certificate (SMC). Internal audits every 12 months. Weak systems surface at port state control.

Question 1 of 8

Weather is deteriorating at the quay. Who has the final authority to delay departure for safety reasons?

• The crew votes before departure
• The charterer decides with the DPA
• The master, under overriding authority
• The agent, as commercial representative

Question 2 of 8

What distinguishes the Designated Person Ashore from other shore contacts?

• Direct access to the highest level of management
• Availability during office hours
• Responsibility for daily commercial decisions
• Authority to command the vessel remotely

Question 3 of 8

Which of these belongs in a safety management system?

• Procedures for reporting non-conformities
• The vessel's charter party terms
• The port agent's contact list
• The crew's wage agreements

Question 4 of 8

A near-miss causes no damage and nobody is hurt. What does ISM section 9 require?

• Nothing, as no damage occurred
• Report and analyse it as a hazardous occurrence
• Report only if an authority was watching
• Handle it verbally at the next coffee break

Question 5 of 8

Fire pump maintenance is overdue. The pump still runs. What is the correct action?

• Remove it from the SMS equipment list
• Note it in the log and leave it for next year
• Document the overdue task, assess the risk and correct it before further reliance
• Run it until it fails, then repair

Question 6 of 8

Non-conformities are diligently reported, but never closed out. What does this mean?

• Closing out is the authority's job, not the company's
• Reporting alone satisfies the Code
• Only major non-conformities need closing
• The SMS corrective-action process is failing - a serious finding

Question 7 of 8

How often must the company verify its safety management system through internal audits?

• Every 5 years, with the SMC renewal
• Only when port state control requests it
• Only after a serious accident
• At intervals not exceeding 12 months

Question 8 of 8

Which pair of certificates does ISM certification produce?

• DOC for the company, SMC for each ship
• DOC for both, renewed by the master
• SMC for the company, DOC for each ship
• One combined certificate for the fleet