ISM Code
The International Safety Management (ISM) Code is the International Maritime Organization (IMO) standard for the safe management and operation of ships and for pollution prevention. Adopted in 1993 and made mandatory in 1998 under SOLAS Chapter IX, it requires every shipowner and ship-management company to establish, implement, and maintain a documented Safety Management System (SMS).
The SMS must cover safety policies, emergency preparedness, reporting of accidents and non-conformities, scheduled maintenance of the ship and equipment, documented procedures for shipboard operations, and management responsibilities. Each ship must hold a Safety Management Certificate (SMC) and each company a Document of Compliance (DOC), both audited by the flag state administration or a recognised classification society.
ISM, ISPS, and PMS workflows are tightly interconnected in modern maritime ERP platforms — when a PMS task creates a finding, it should automatically link to the right ISM non-conformity record.
The ISM Code turns "safety" from a poster on the wall into an auditable system. Every owner and manager must run a documented Safety Management System, and the certificates that prove it — the company DOC and each ship's SMC — are checked in port. A lapse here can detain the vessel, so ISM records, PMS maintenance and defect findings must stay connected and audit-ready.
(the company)
(each ship)
What is a Safety Management System (SMS)?
The documented set of policies and procedures an ISM-compliant company maintains — covering safety, emergencies, maintenance, reporting and responsibilities — that the DOC and SMC certify.
What is the difference between a DOC and an SMC?
The Document of Compliance (DOC) is issued to the company; the Safety Management Certificate (SMC) is issued to each ship. Both are audited by the flag state or a recognised classification society.