Industry self-regulation key to global safety code success

The International Safety Management (ISM) Code, due to become mandatory in July, could become just another certificate if the right of sovereign states to issue the certificate is abused, the International Association of Dry Cargo Shipowners (Intercargo) warns.

Intercargo chairman Sverre Jorgen Tidemand said: 'The only way to see that the ISM Code works is to shout when one sees a bogus certificate.' He told members of the Hong Kong Shipowners Association last week that it was unfortunate that the industry had to rely on self-regulation to make the ISM Code work.

The code was developed by the International Maritime Organisation to ensure shipping companies around the world took safety issues seriously.

The code requires shipping firms to develop a safety management plan and appoint a senior official to be responsible for its implementation.

While port-state control increasingly was beginning to take shape, there also were fears that some shipowners could simply buy an ISM certificate, Mr Tidemand said.

When such a practice was uncovered, media could assist to publicise it as a deterrent to others, he added.

Asked whether naming offenders could be a deterrent measure, Mr Tidemand said exposure would be risky or difficult under the framework in which the association operated.