ISM Code Reform: A Turning Point for Today’s Seafarers

Post by : Amit

The International Safety Management Code Under Pressure

Once hailed as a revolutionary milestone in maritime safety, the International Safety Management (ISM) Code is now under serious scrutiny. As it marks more than 25 years of implementation, seafarers, safety officers, and regulatory experts are asking a hard question: Is the ISM Code still doing its job in 2025?

The answer, increasingly, is “not really.” Despite its initial intent to ensure safer operations at sea and prevent marine pollution, the ISM Code today feels out of touch with modern realities—particularly for the very people it’s supposed to protect: the seafarers themselves.

There’s growing frustration that the code has become more about paperwork than protection, and that it reflects a shore-side view of compliance rather than an onboard culture of real-world safety.

Why the ISM Code Is No Longer Enough

Created by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in 1993 and made mandatory in 1998, the ISM Code was envisioned as a structured, ship-specific safety management system. It introduced core principles such as risk assessment, continuous improvement, and the “safety culture” concept to maritime operations.

But much has changed in the decades since. Ships are now far more automated, crews are smaller, mental health challenges are on the rise, and commercial pressures have intensified. Meanwhile, the code’s language has hardly evolved, leading to ambiguity in interpretation, excessive paperwork, and uneven enforcement.

According to those in the industry, the biggest problem is this: The ISM Code says the right things, but doesn’t always result in the right actions.

A Culture of Compliance, Not Safety

Many maritime professionals say the ISM Code is now used more as a shield against liability than as a tool to foster genuine safety culture.

"Too often, the focus is on filling forms, passing audits, and ticking boxes rather than identifying and mitigating real risks,” says a chief engineer from a major container line. “If something goes wrong, the first question is, ‘Was the form filled out?’—not ‘Did the crew understand what was dangerous?’”

This mismatch between intent and reality is especially dangerous in an era where crews are younger, more diverse, and often under greater stress than ever before.

A Mental Health Crisis at Sea

Among the most pressing gaps in the ISM Code is its failure to adequately address crew wellbeing and mental health. The code talks about the "human element," but offers no enforceable standards or guidance on managing fatigue, loneliness, depression, or trauma.

A recent survey of global seafarers found that nearly 40% had experienced mental health challenges in the past year, yet less than 10% had access to professional psychological support while onboard.

Experts argue this isn’t just a moral failure—it’s a safety risk. Stressed, overworked, and unsupported crews are far more prone to mistakes, accidents, and slow emergency responses.

Misused and Misunderstood

Another key criticism is that the ISM Code is often misused by companies to shield themselves from blame. In the wake of a maritime accident, it’s not uncommon for shipping companies to point to ISM compliance—on paper—as a defense, even when conditions onboard were far from safe.

“There’s a gap between policy and practice,” says a maritime attorney involved in several international shipping accident investigations. “Just because a company has an ISM-compliant manual doesn’t mean the crew was actually trained, rested, or given the resources to implement it.”

This legal misuse erodes accountability and trust, leaving seafarers to bear the consequences of systemic failures beyond their control.

The Human Voice: Seafarers Call for Change

What’s perhaps most striking in today’s debate is how seafarers themselves are raising their voices. Once hesitant to challenge authority, younger crew members are now turning to forums, unions, and NGOs to demand a modernized safety framework that reflects their lived experiences.

They want an ISM Code that:

• Recognizes psychological health as integral to operational safety
• Includes clear language and specific standards, not vague intentions
• Requires regular updates based on lessons learned from actual incidents
• Empowers crew to report hazards without fear of retaliation
• Reduces useless documentation in favor of real risk assessments

This push is not just about comfort—it's about survival in one of the world’s most dangerous professions.

Regulatory Momentum Builds

The good news is that change may finally be on the horizon. In early 2025, the IMO’s Sub-Committee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping (HTW) began preliminary discussions on reviewing the ISM Code, especially its relevance to mental health, fatigue, and crew welfare.

The Nautical Institute, InterManager, and ITF Seafarers' Trust have all submitted position papers calling for bold revisions. Some of the ideas being floated include:

• A “Wellbeing Annex” to the ISM Code
• Mandatory onboard mental health support protocols
• Crew reporting tools that bypass onboard management and go straight to the company’s Designated Person Ashore (DPA)
• Real-time safety feedback platforms that use digital logs instead of paperwork

For the first time in over two decades, there appears to be political and industrial will to bring the code into the 21st century.

Industry Divided: Risk or Reward?

Not everyone is on board with sweeping reforms. Some shipowners and managers argue that adding more ISM requirements could lead to audit overload, operational delays, and cost escalation.

They also warn that vague concepts like “mental wellbeing” are difficult to enforce objectively, opening the door to legal uncertainty and non-compliance risk.

But safety advocates counter that true safety always costs less than a disaster. The cost of not updating the ISM Code may be measured in lives lost, reputations damaged, and millions in legal claims.

The goal, they say, is not to punish companies, but to elevate safety from a checkbox to a shared commitment—with seafarers at the center, not the sidelines.

From Philosophy to Practice

At its heart, the ISM Code was built around the idea of a “safety culture.” But culture doesn’t grow from manuals—it grows from values, leadership, and feedback loops that empower people at every level of the organization.

To do that, the new ISM Code must include mechanisms for:

• Ongoing crew input into safety system design
• Digital tools that track real-world safety behavior
• Transparency reports on near misses and systemic issues
• Mentorship programs to pass down knowledge in an era of fast turnover

Above all, it must acknowledge that safety is no longer just about procedures—it’s about people.

A Turning Point for the Maritime World

The maritime industry is approaching a crossroads. In an age of autonomous systems, decarbonization, and workforce transformation, it’s no longer enough to rely on outdated frameworks.

Updating the ISM Code is not just an administrative task—it’s a moral and operational imperative.

For shipowners, regulators, and crews alike, this is a chance to prove that safety at sea is more than just words in a manual. It’s something you live, breathe, and believe in. Something you do not because you're told to, but because you choose to.

In 2025, the ISM Code needs more than a revision—it needs a rebirth.

ISM Code 2025, Maritime safety standards, Seafarer mental health