What is the background and scope of ISM?

The International Safety Management (ISM) Code is the International Standard for Safe Management and Operation of Ships and Pollution Prevention.

The 1998 and 2002 mandatory implementation milestones of the ISM Code marked a major breakthrough for the maritime shipping industry. For the first time ever, companies and their management ashore were brought into the statutory compliance equation involving safety and environmental management systems. The focus on the vital ship-shore link had been established under the objectives and terms of the ISM Code.

Recognising that no two shipping companies are exactly the same, the ISM Codes very intentions and content offer wide latitudes to operators toward meeting the requirements of maritime rules and regulations. One of the primary objectives of the ISM Code emphasises the concept of continuous improvement, thereby integrating a dynamism leading to safer and cleaner seas in the future. DNV acknowledges and actively supports the Codes objectives through our own work with shipping companies.