Operational Guide · Registers & Logbooks

# Master's Authority and Safety Culture

The Master's authority is not a hierarchical formality: the ISM Code requires it to be explicitly defined, documented and recognised as overriding any other pressure, including commercial ones.

ISM Code Section 5 Master's authority safety culture leadership

## Operational Explanation

The ISM Code, in Section 5 (Master's Responsibility and Authority), requires the Company to clearly define and document the Master's overriding authority to make decisions relating to safety and pollution prevention, and their responsibility to request Company assistance when needed. This is not a symbolic clause: it is the mechanism that protects the Master from commercial pressures (e.g. meeting an arrival schedule) when they conflict with a safer operational decision.

At a strategic level, the ISM Code aims to encourage the development of a safety culture among maritime personnel: not just documentary compliance, but a continuously implemented and improved management system that genuinely links shore-based leadership to shipboard operations. Top management's commitment (through the Safety and Environmental Protection Policy) is the recognised starting point for effective ISM implementation.

## Regulatory Reference

ISM Code, Section 5 (Master's Responsibility and Authority): the Company must ensure the Master is qualified, properly familiarised with the SMS, and receives the necessary support. The Company must also guarantee direct access for the DPA (Designated Person Ashore) to the highest levels of management, as an escalation channel independent of the operational chain of command.

## Scope of Application

Every Company and ship subject to the ISM Code, with the Company's management responsible for explicitly documenting the Master's overriding authority and for concretely supporting their safety decisions even when they carry a commercial cost.

## Procedure / How to Complete It

1. Verify that the SMS explicitly documents the Master's overriding authority over safety and pollution prevention decisions.
2. Ensure the Master receives concrete support from the Company when a safety decision carries a commercial cost (e.g. delay, route deviation).
3. Verify that the DPA maintains direct, unfiltered access to the highest levels of management, as required by the ISM Code.
4. Actively promote, at management level, a safety culture that encourages spontaneous reporting rather than mere documentary compliance.
5. Include, in the periodic assessment of the Master, not only technical competence but also leadership capacity in sustaining the safety culture on board.

## Practical Example

Example: a Master decides to reduce speed in adverse weather conditions, causing a delay against the ETA communicated to the charterer; the Company explicitly confirms full support for the decision, documenting the episode as a positive example of the overriding authority provided for in Section 5 of the ISM Code.

## Real Cases

The most effective ISM implementations are those in which management's commitment to the Safety and Environmental Protection Policy translates into concrete, visible support for the Master's safety decisions, even when they carry a commercial cost: when this support is lacking in practice, the overriding authority formally documented in the SMS risks remaining a clause on paper, progressively eroding the Master's trust in the system.

## Common Mistakes Mistake Library

Mistake | Consequence | How to avoid it
--- | --- | ---
Master's overriding authority documented in the SMS but not concretely supported when the safety decision carries a commercial cost | Erosion of the Master's trust in the system and implicit pressure to favour commercial needs | Always concretely support, and document as a positive example, the Master's safety decisions even when they carry a cost
DPA's access to the highest levels of management filtered or mediated by other company figures | Loss of the independent escalation function required by the ISM Code | Always guarantee the DPA direct, unfiltered access to Company management
Safety culture treated as a communication slogan, without a real connection between shore-based leadership and shipboard operations | The SMS remains a formal documentary system, disconnected from daily operational practice | Periodically verify that management's declared commitment translates into concrete, visible actions on board

## PSC Observations

PSCOs and certification auditors can indirectly assess the safety culture on board through interviews with the crew and the Master, in addition to the sole documentary verification of the SMS: a discrepancy between what is declared and what is actually experienced on board is a red flag.

## Operational Tips

- Don't treat the Master's overriding authority as a symbolic clause: verify it is concretely supported every time it is exercised.
- Always guarantee the DPA direct, unfiltered access to the highest levels of management.
- Periodically assess whether management's declared commitment to safety culture translates into concrete, visible actions on board, not just documented policies.

## Checklist

- Master's overriding authority explicitly documented in the SMS
- Master's safety decisions concretely supported by the Company even at a commercial cost
- DPA's direct, unfiltered access to the highest levels of management verified
- Safety culture actively promoted by management, not just declared
- Master's leadership assessed periodically alongside technical competence

## FAQ

What is meant by the Master's overriding authority?
Section 5 of the ISM Code requires the Company to explicitly document the Master's authority to make any decision relating to safety and pollution prevention, overriding any other consideration, including commercial ones.
Why is the DPA's direct access to Company management so important?
Because it constitutes an escalation channel independent of the operational chain of command, ensuring that safety concerns reach the highest management levels without being filtered or diluted along the way.
How is safety culture on board concretely measured?
Not only through the SMS's documentary compliance, but also through indirect indicators such as the rate of spontaneous Near Miss reporting, the quality of crew interviews in audits, and the consistency between management's declared commitment and observable concrete actions on board.
🎬 Additional photos, videos and interactive diagrams for this topic will be available in a future version of the platform.

## Related Topics

Designated Person Ashore (DPA)Near Miss Reporting

### Leave feedback

Help us improve the platform during the beta -- it takes thirty seconds.

How useful do you find the platform so far?
Comment (optional)
Sign me up for the newsletter
Role