C4FF have prepared 3 questionnaires specific to;

·      Flag State administrations

·      PSC MOU’s

·      Shipping companies

The ISC position at MSC 107 was that the ISM Code itself remains fit for purpose as it is goal based, flexible and it works well towards ensuring safety management compliance, however ICS also accepts that a review and revision of the MSC IMO Resolution A.1118(30) – Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of the International Safety Management (ISM) Code by Administrations – (Adopted on 6 December 2017), may be appropriate to be reviewed and potentially revised.

This study will deliver an assessment of the effectiveness and effective implementation of the ISM Code and its related instruments for review by the IMO MSC at a future session, potentially MSC 108 in 2024. It will yield objective evidence, form conclusions, and propose measures with a view to modernising, streamlining, and improving the effectiveness of the provisions in the relevant instruments and their implementation through safety management systems. 

ICS encourages as many shipping companies as possible to compete the questionnaire including asking company ships Masters to complete it as well so that as large an audience as possible is captured for the revision. It has be noted that the ICS secretariat was not involved in the creation of the questionnaire, but have had the opportunity to review and propose some amendments to the questionnaire for shipping companies, most of which have been taken into account.  

All responses will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and will be used solely for the purposes of this study.

The questionnaire can be accessed using this link: https://bit.ly/3oBNyfo

The ICS encourages members shipping company representatives and ships Masters to complete the questionnaire as the results will enable ICS to best represent shipping companies views in any future discussions on a revision of the ISM Code and/or the associated instruments at a future session of the IMO MSC.

The deadline for completing the questionnaire is  Friday 21 July 2023.

Any questions regarding the study or the questionnaire should be provided to Gregor Stevens, Senior Manager – Nautical  at gregor.stevens@ics-shipping.org