Marine The Need for Introduction of the ISM Code - Essay Example

Assessment of the Need for Introduction of the ISM The safety of crew, passengers, cargo, the ship itself or any other sea going vessel is of paramount importance in the shipping industry. In addition to safety of the above, the environment in which they operate must also be protected from pollution. A combination of these factors is required to ensure that all shipping activities are successful and sustainable. These requirements necessitate the development of an international code to follow to provide sufficientbasic guidelines to realize the same. This paper examines the ISM code with the objective to establish the need for its introduction based on its capacity to ensure safety is maintained. In order to comprehend the capacity of the code to regulate shipping, a focus of its objectives is necessary. The objectivesentail the protection of people from injuries and deaths, protection of property from damage and loss as well as conservation of the sea environment as a priority1. All ship owners and the crew are therefore obligated to strictly follow code stipulations for the realization of the objectives therein. The code provides minimum detailed guidelines in areas of priority. For instance, it requires all personnel to be only those who are sufficiently trained and qualified. The Master of the ship is specifically required to be professionally qualified and have extensive knowledge of company safety policy2. The master is in turn charged with ensuring that all other personnel comply with particular company safety policy. It is also the onus of the company to ensure that its staff is familiar with the safety requirements in their areas of work on the ship. Professional qualifications enable staff to make good judgments of situations at sea and with the vessel and identify threats to security and environment. Adequate training of shipping staff will therefore reduce the probability of accidents or the damages resulting from accidents when they occur because of the preparedness to handle them. The code also advocates for a clearly defined communications channel, procedures and authority for every voyage. These guidelines ensure that prompt reporting of malfunctions, accidents, and threats are passed and acted on by both the crew and the contingent at shore. The regulations on communication are designed to elicit quick and appropriate reaction to situations by the right personnel to prevent losses and pollution all round. The achievement and maintenance of safety is further bolstered by the requirement for regular audits, records keeping andship inspections. The motive of these activities is to ensure that vessels are sea worthy and that the companies owning them as well as their staff are competent.The code stipulates ship inspection at pre-determined intervals3. Such inspections must conform to all the rules and regulations as set by requisite standards of inspection. The inspections provide for corrective action when anomalies are detected to prevent accidents4. Properly inspected and certified vessels exponentially reduce the likelihood of malfunctions as all the systems in the will be functioning properly. The company is also required to keep all relevant records relevant to safety for every ship. ISM demands the elimination of data that is no longer useful. Still, the ships must be furnished with all the documents and data it requires for every trip. These records provide points of reference for the measures taken to improve security or actions taken during various situations. It could help crews determine quickly the right action to take when faced with occurrences that have been dealt with before. Finally, the company is obligated to take annual internal audits and evaluations to gauge compliance with safety standards for on board and ashore operations. When audits reveal areas of weaknesses, the responsible parties are required to make good of the weaknesses to eliminate exposure to danger. This applies to environmental safety too. Companies that own the ships also have overall special overall rules to conform with apart from the ones directly related to ship operations. For instance, ship operating entities require certification documents or their interims in as an indication of their observance of the code. This requirement ensures that companies willing to continue with the shipping business comply with all the obligations under the code as the certification is periodical and based on actual performance. It acts as a strong impetus to make the companies improve environmental safety as well as for the ship, personnel and cargo. Finally, the company must take control and monitor shipboard operations. This requires the sanction of plans, operation of checklists and verification of major operations. Still, the company is responsible for conducting shipboard emergency drills to prepare crew for emergencies.The company makes procedures to respond and elicit appropriate action. An illustration of the benefits of implementation can be found in real life experiences documented in the MAIB Safety Digest 1/2012.Case four of the digest demonstrates how poor communication, untrained staff on emergency lift operations, and inaccurate assumptions led to the chief engineers death during a hazardous lift shaft inspection routine. The chief engineer had accessed the shaft through a lift car above because he could not access using the shaft keys. When the hatch door was closed by the chief engineer, the duty engineer mistook it for being controlled by the chief engineer from the top of the lift. As a result, he reset the lift to automatic operation that caused the chief engineer to be crushed. Since the crew was not trained on emergencies of this nature, they were unable to respond. The example demonstrates the ramifications of poor communication, disregard for safety procedures. The accident provides proof of the consequences of involving untrained staff in the response to the situation. They inability to respond appropriately led to the engineer’s death. The engineer would not have died if the ISM guidelines were in place and implemented. From the above discussion, it is evident that the ISM code is clearly capable of arresting and mitigating accidents if properly followed. The basic guidelines under the code provide universal rules and procedures suitable for shipping going vessels. Additionally, the lessons learnt from actual accidents further reveal the disregard for some provisions of the code. All in all, introduction of the code is guaranteed to reduce economic loss, loss of life and the pollution of the sea environment if strictly adhered to.Implementation of the ISM would eventually improve profitability for the industry. To prevent pollution, preserve marine life as well as human life and cargo, it is advisable to adopt the ISM. References MAIB Safety Digest 1/2012 ISM Code and Guidelines on Implementation of the ISM Code 2010 Read More