Main aspects of a management system

The cornerstone of good management is commitment from the top management and dedication from the operating personnel. In matters of safety, pollution prevention and energy saving, it is the commitment, competence, attitudes and motivation of individuals at all levels that determines the end result. The foundation of the ISM Code is largely based on the philosophy of quality management, the key fundamentals of which include:

  • Management commitment;
  • Staff/personnel empowerment;
  • Continuous improvement.

The role of the top management is crucial when improving the quality or safety or environmental protection or conservation of resources of a company is concerned. Firstly, the management is responsible to set a company policy which describes where and how the company should aim and perform in terms of quality, safety, environmental and energy conservation issues. Secondly, the management is responsible for providing adequate resources and tools in order to ensure that the company policy could be successfully implemented. Also, the management is responsible for setting realistic and achievable targets for the company’s quality, safety, environmental and energy performance. The performance should be reviewed on a regular basis and the previous targets should be updated on the basis of actual performance.

The involvement of the personnel is a pre-requisite for a successful management system. Employees should have a feel of ownership in this regard. This is normally achieved by providing an opportunity for them to participate in establishing, implementing and operating the management system at various organizational levels. In many organizations, it is not necessarily lack of knowledge and awareness that is responsible for poor performance, but it is the lack of this feel of ownership and motivation to act and commitment that leads to poor performance in various areas.

The concept of “management system” is not new to the shipping industry. One of the most prominent management system that is already mandatory in shipping is the ISM Code that as the name implies deals with shipping safety at its core. There are other management systems that although not mandatory, are widely adopted by the shipping companies including the following:

The concept of “management system” is not new to the shipping industry. One of the most prominent management system that is already mandatory in shipping is the ISM Code that as the name implies deals with shipping safety at its core. There are other management systems that although not mandatory, are widely adopted by the shipping companies including the following:

  • Quality management system, mainly known as ISO 9001;
  • Environmental management system, mainly known as ISO 14001;
  • Health and safety systems such as those based on OHSAS 18001;
  • Energy management system such as those specified under ISO 50001. Quality management system, mainly known as ISO 9001;
  • Environmental management system, mainly known as ISO 14001;
  • Health and safety systems such as those based on OHSAS 18001;
  • Energy management system such as those specified under ISO 50001 (MariEMS 2017).