A timely need for shipping companies to implement the ISM Code and establish a safety management system

Shipping operates in a dynamic environment as ever. The increase in the volume of trade, advancement in technologies and the world wide economic competitions and pressures have created enormous complexities in the shipping business. The need to prevent the loss of lives and damages to environment is felt much greater today than it was ever in the past. This study while analysing the past history, present status and future expectations of shipping, aims at creating the requisite safety culture awareness and realisation of the timely need for remedial measures. The dissertation invites attention in general of all those having a responsibility towards safety of life at sea and in particular shipping companies. ‘X Safety Management is hard to achieve with ignorance of Quality Management. In this dissertation Quality Management has been explained to its desired extent to understand its inevitable link with Safety Management Systems. The ISM Code and its Safety Management System is basically designed to improve Quality Management Systems of shipping at least to a level where protection against loss of lives and damages to environment is secured to 2-globally accepted reasonable extent. This study emphasises upon the implementation of the code as soon as possible. The dissertation also convincingly suggests adoptable ways and procedures for the implementation of the code which is accessable and relatively easy to understand by the majority. In formulating this dissertation the methodology used is the consultation of books on the topic as well as the relevant literature from international conferences, reflecting on the author\u27s own experience gained whilst working onboard various ships and ashore in the office of a shipping company, learning and collecting of relevant information through field trips, library research and valuable lectures received at the World Maritime University. It is hoped that this dissertation will serve as a concise guide for shipping companies to realise the timely need for the implementation of the ISM Code. This study should also help to formulate procedures to establish a successful Safety Management System. Shipping companies who are operating only the traditional cargo vessels, the compliance of the ISM Code shall be obligatory by the year 2002, while for those who are operating passenger ships including passenger high speed crafi, oil and chemical tankers, bulk carriers,gas carriers and cargo high speed crafts of 500 gross tonnes and over the ISM Code shall be obligatory just in a matter of a little over one year from now. 1 July 1998. However the thrust of the dissertation is to persuade such shipping companies about the need for compliance with the ISM Code as soon as possible not withstanding the regulatory obligations, in order to improve shipping safety