NEW RESEARCH Safety management system registration in the shipping industry

Shipping is perhaps the most internationally recognized of all the world’s great industries – and one of the most dangerous. It has always been accepted that the best way of improving safety at sea is by developing international regulations that are followed by most shipping nations. Since 1993, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) has adopted the International Safety Management (ISM) Code as a minimum statutory requirement for ship operating companies to establish, implement and maintain their safety management systems (SMS). This paper compares the ISM Code with the requirements of the ISO 9001:2000 quality management system and the OHSAS 18001:1999 Occupational Health and Safety Standards. It reviews the SMS registration process and discusses the problems and difficulties commonly faced by ship operating companies in the process. A 15-step implementation strategy for SMS registration is presented. The model provides ship operating companies with a practical reference to manage the SMS registration in compliance with the statutory requirements of the IMO.