Adoption of chapter IX SOLAS
PURPOSE OF THE CODE
Is to provide an international standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention.
It became mandatory on the 1st July 1998, for all vessels including High Speed Crafts etc. above 500 GRT. All ships and mobile offshore drilling units are requires to comply not later than 1st July 2002. Ships less than 400 GRT may comply voluntarily. The IMO (International Maritime Organization) accepted an assembly where by all governments should safe guard the Master on the proper discharge of his responsibilities with regard to safety & protection to the marine environment. It also adopted a policy where by a shore based personnel who is an elected member of the company to respond to the needs of personnel on board ship so that high standards of safety and environmental protection is maintained.
GENERAL OBJECTIVES FO THE CODE
1. To ensure safety at sea.
2. Prevention of human injury & loss of life.
3. Avoidance of damage to the environment in particular to the marine environment and to the property.
OBJECTIVES OF THE SAFTETY MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY
1. Provide for the safe practices for the ship operation and safe working environment.
2. Establish safe guard against all identified dangers.
3. Continuously improve safety management skills of personnel ashore and aboard.
The company should adopt a safety and environmental policy and make sure that it is being followed by both ship based as well as shore based personnels to ensure high standard of safety & environmental protection.
If the owner is not the one who is responsible for the working of the ship he should hand over the persons name responsible for the working of the ship to the ISM administration. the company should define duties of various persons on board ship and make sure that they are being carried out regularly and in a systematic fashion. The person designated by the company at shore should have direct access to the highest management level (known as Designated Person) and his duties are being carried out from time to time with regard to the safety of life and the prevention of pollution to the marine environment. The master should see that the policy implemented by the company is being followed strictly on board ships, perform his duties with regard to motivation of crew to observe the policy, issue orders in simple language and in case of any deficiency and requirement on board should point it out to the company without hesitation. The company in its document should make sure that the Master is the head of all operations and his word is final, but before doing so the company should make sure that the master is a well qualified person and capable of carrying out his duties in highly sophisticated manner.
Emergency drills should be planned by the company, which should practice on board ships so in case of emergency the crew will be able to respond to their duties efficiently. Finally company should arrange for internal audits to make sure that the Safe Management System is being followed and every means to ensure safety of life & prevention of pollution to marine environment is taken.
CERTIFICATION
The ship should be operated by the company which is issued a Document Of Compliance (DOC) relevant to that ship.
The DOC should be issued to every company complying with the requirement of the ISM code by the administration
A copy is kept on board with the master, if so asked may produce it for certification of the administration or organizations received by it and a SMC should be issued to the ship by the ISM administration after making sure that the ship & the company operate in accordance with the approved SMS.
1. Government authorized organization to issue a DOC to company, copy of this DOC to be on vessel.
2. The DOC is issued after verification by authority that SMS is functional in view of documentation + audit reports for atleast 3 months.
3. DOC + SMC’s are valid for 5 years subject to annual verification 3 months + the anniversary date + 1 intermediate verification for the SMC.
4. Interim DOC valid for 12 months, SMC for 6 months.
TERMS
· Non-Conformity: deviation from requirements specified in the SMC’s.
· Major Non-Conformity: is the one that poses a serious threat to life, vessel or environment.
· NCR: Non- Conformity Reporting.
· CAR: Corrective Action Requests.
