1 The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventieth
session (7 to 11 December 1998), recalled that the 1994 SOLAS Conference
had adopted a new Chapter IX on Management
for the Safe Operation of Ships, by virtue of which the International
Safety Management (ISM) Code became mandatory for certain ships on
1 July 1998. The Committee also recalled that, in order to assist
Administrations, the Assembly, at its nineteenth session in November
1995, adopted resolution A.788(19) on Guidelines on Implementation
of the ISM Code by Administrations.
First implementation date
2 The Committee further recalled that, in response
to concerns about progress with ISM Code certification on shipping
companies and ships to which Chapter IX would
apply on 1 July 1998 (passenger ships, including passenger high-speed
craft, oil tankers, chemical tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers
and cargo high-speed craft of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, regardless
of their date of construction), MSC 66 and MEPC 38 approved MSC/Circ.796/MEPC/Circ.311
on Timely and effective implementation of the ISM Code.
3 The Committee also recalled that:
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.1 at its sixty-seventh session, it approved MSC/Circ.771
on Implementation of the ISM Code, inviting Member Governments and
Contracting Governments to SOLAS to take action as specified in the
circular;
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.2 at its sixty-eighth session, in conjunction
with MEPC at its fortieth session, it approved MSC/Circ.828/MEPC/Circ.334 on Implementation of the ISM
Code and interim documentation; and
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.3 the Assembly, at its twentieth session in November
1997, unanimously adopted, at the recommendation of the MSC and MEPC,
resolution A.848(20) on Implementation of the International Safety
Management (ISM) Code, in operative paragraph 7 of which it invited
Member Governments and Contracting Governments to the SOLAS Convention
to:
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.1 be aware that there was a significant amount
of work required to ensure application of the ISM Code to other
general cargo ships and mobile of offshore units of 500 gross tonnage
and upwards by 1 July 2002; and
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.2 expedite the process of application of the
ISM Code to those ships well in advance of the enforcement date.
Second implementation date
4 In the light of the foregoing, the Committee
re-emphasized the importance of Governments being mindful of the considerable
time needed for effectively implementing the ISM Code on cargo ships
other than oil tankers, chemical tankers, gas carriers, bulk carriers
and cargo high speed craft of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, as well
as on mobile offshore units of 500 gross tonnage and upwards, and
thus of the need for well-planned time schedules for the implementation
process, which should be put in place in good time before the Code's
second implementation date of 1 July 2002.
5 Member Governments are invited to take urgent
appropriate action as explained above and bring this circular to the
attention of all concerned, particularly shipowners, ship operators
and managers, shipping companies and classification societies.