ISM Code paragraph 12.1 states: “The company shall conduct internal safety audits ashore and at sea on a periodic basis of not more than twelve months to ensure that all safety and pollution-prevention activities are compliant with SMS”. According to section 12.5 of the code, “Auditors should be independent of the areas under audit unless this is impractical due to the size or nature of the business”.
We offer internal audit services to ship management companies and owners. We have ISM, ISPS & MLC Auditors who follow the required code and your management procedures to minimize your expert employment fee as well as your travel expenses.
The International Safety Management Code (ISM) require Shipping Companies to have procedures for conducting both internal and external audits to ensure the ship as well as the shore organisation is doing what is documented in the Safety Management System.
Carrying out internal SMS audits companies measure the effectiveness of their own systems. Internal SMS or ISM audits are potentially more important than external audits for controlling the effectiveness of the system, since companies stand to gain or lose more than the external audit bodies if the system fails. The company, its employees, shipmasters, officers and crews ‘own’ the safety management system and have a direct interest in ensuring that it is effective. As a result, the internal SMS audit, which represents these interests, should be at least equal to if not exceed the thoroughness of the external SMS audit process.
Marine Licence & Consultancy performs and carries out ISM internal audits on board operator vessels as well as on their premises.