The ISM Code: A critical view of the contemporary challenges and future prospects for maritime safety management systems (SMS) in the new digital Era

Abstract

The International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) has been the international reference standard for safety management in global shipping for more than two decades. It was originally designed to reduce the number of maritime accidents through the implementation of standardized procedures and on-site audits. The ISM Code has proven to be effective in promoting a culture of prevention and reducing the number of accidents in the maritime sector. However, the accelerated pace of technological development, characterized by the increasing digitalization and automation of operational and administrative processes, is opening up new horizons and posing complex challenges.

This article takes a detailed and critical look at the current state of the ISM Code, identifying its main strengths while recognizing its limitations in the face of recent technological developments. Key challenges analyzed include the introduction of digital or remote audits, electronic documents, increasing technological dependence and emerging cybersecurity risks, which require specific and urgent regulatory adaptations.

                It also examines how these changes directly affect ship crews, who must quickly adapt to new responsibilities and technical skills arising from the digitalized and automated environment. Technological change also poses a significant challenge to maritime professional training and qualifications, generating an urgent need to update existing maritime training programmes and certifications. In this sense, the potential impact of automation on crew reduction and the redefinition of the traditional role of the professional master and other officers on board is also addressed, aspects that generate additional uncertainty and concern within the sector.

The article also assesses the future implications of this technological change, considering how it could affect the operational and regulatory standards of international shipping in the coming years. In this context, it underlines the crucial importance of revising and modernizing the ISM Code to ensure its adaptation to these new technological realities, to preserve its operational effectiveness and to strengthen global maritime safety. The International Maritime Organization (IMO) has already set its sights on this issue for the year 2025.

Finally, this analysis seeks to provide practical and strategic recommendations for shipowners, maritime administrations, classification societies and international organizations, underlining the need to strike the right balance between the adoption of technology and the preservation of the human factor as a key and irreplaceable element in the comprehensive management of maritime safety in the future.