The Dry Bulk Management Standard

Full guidance notes

Full standard

1. Commitment to HSSE

The company promotes a strong, proactive HSSE culture in senior management and at all levels throughout the company.

2. Vessel visits & communications

The company ensures managers, through their actions and behaviours, create an environment in which the vessel’s crews and other employees are informed, involved and enabled to carry out their roles.

3. SMS governing documents

The company documents, maintains and follows policies, practices and procedures for the safety of their employees and the safe, compliant and reliable operation of their ships.

4. HSSE objectives & KPIs

The company documents, maintains and follows policies, practices and procedures for the safety of their employees and the safe, compliant and reliable operation of their ships.

5. Audit planning, review & close out

The company performs audits of operating and management processes to assure compliance with legal and company requirements, and drive risk reduction and performance improvement. Findings from audits are followed up for close out.

6. Master’s reviews & company evaluation

The master of each company vessel periodically reviews the SMS, reporting its deficiencies to the company. The company periodically evaluates the effectiveness of the SMS.

People

7. HR management and recruitment (office)

The company establishes an organisation that allows it to deliver its objectives effectively through the deployment of competent people and adequate resources ashore.

8. Technical & HSSE training (office)

The company maintains competent shore staff with appropriate qualifications, skills and knowledge for roles that support the fleet, and to meet current and future business needs.

9. Crew management & recruitment

The company has processes that address crew matters i.e. recruitment, training requirements, appraisals, manning levels, disciplinary, code of conduct, work and rest hours, etc. Where crew management, is partially or fully outsourced, the crewing agency will undergo an annual audit by the ship manager to ensure the contracting company complies with all the ship manager’s […]

10. Crew technical & HSSE training (vessels)

The company maintains competent vessel staff with appropriate qualifications, skills and knowledge for roles onboard, and to meet current and future needs.

11. Crew familiarisation

The company has a programme to ensure crew members are familiar with the arrangements of the ship, as well as the location and operation of any on-board procedures, systems or equipment that they may be called upon to use.

12. Contractor management

The company develops and implements a process for the management of contractors and sub-contractors with emphasis on the master’s and other officers’ and crew members’ related health and safety responsibilities.

13. Crew welfare

The company has a programme to ensure the wellbeing of vessel personnel.

14. Maintenance

The company has a programme to inspect and maintain plant and assets to prevent injury to people, damage to the environment and achieve effective performance.

15. Dry dock and surveys

The company has a programme to manage dry docks, repair periods and maintaining class status.

16. Critical equipment

The company maintains an inspection programme to determine the condition of critical equipment & systems to verify and document they are fit for service.

17. Engine room operations & bunkering

The company operates engineroom and plant facilities effectively to prevent injury to people and damage to the environment.

18. Inspection planning, review and close out

The company ensures that shore-based personnel carry out inspections to monitor the condition of the vessel and it’s equipment.

19. Mooring & anchoring

The company develops and implements planning and operational processes for mooring, anchoring and access, to ensure these are carried out effectively without injury to people and damage to the environment.

20. Cargo & ballast

The company develops and implements planning and operational processes for cargo and ballast, to ensure these are carried out effectively without injury to people and damage to the environment.

21. Bridge procedures & standards

The company develops and implements planning and operational processes for navigation, including bridge team management, to ensure this is carried out effectively without injury to people and damage to the environment.

22. Risk assessment & management

The company has a programme to assess, prioritise and manage operating risks to prevent harm to people, damage to the environment and to achieve operational effectiveness.

23. Permit to work

The company has a formal control of work process to provide a work environment that will allow tasks to be completed safely with adequate control measures in place.

24. Safety culture improvement

The company has a programme to develop and maintain a culture to enable safe, compliant and efficient operations.

25. Environmental management

The company manages the impact of its operations on the environment and integrates environmental requirements into the safety management system.

26. Management of change including vessel acquisition

The company has a formal process to document, evaluate, approve and communicate temporary and permanent changes that could impact safe, compliant and efficient operations.

27. Security management

The company has processes in place to maintain the security of the workforce, vessels and premises.

28. Cyber security

The company has a programme to design and operate IT and digital process control systems to manage risk to system and information integrity, availability and confidentiality

29. Emergency planning including crisis management

The company prepares for and responds promptly to emergency events threatening harm to its staff, vessels and other incidents.

30. Incident reporting, investigation & training

The company has a programme to report and investigate incidents; determine immediate and root causes and implement appropriate corrective actions.