An overview of management standards for ship management companies

Ship management companies, under the increasing pressure from the authorities and clients, are being forced to provide the proof of the quality of their management and organisation. The companies have to comply with new mandatory international requirements culminating in the certification of provisions for safety onboard ships and prevention of pollution risks. The companies also have to meet the requirements of their clients and prove that personnel onboard each ship possess the skills needed to ensure that all the tasks involved in proper functioning of the ship are performed properly. This paper presents an overview of the mandatory ISM Code and the STCW Convention and the voluntary ISO 9002 Standard requirements. The interrelationship between these standards is clearly indicated and an integration scheme is proposed.