ClassNK publishes first Guidelines to include Safety Management Systems simplification

In ClassNK’s recently released ‘Prime Shipmanagement Guidelines’ the 59-page document offers practical steps to improve ship management. It focuses on resilience, clear roles, and simpler procedures.

For the first time, a classification society provides specific advice on making Safety Management Systems (SMSs) less complicated. 

The guidelines explain how to write SMSs that crews can understand and use. 

Many SMSs are hard to follow, even when the work itself is already complex. This new advice helps companies write clearer procedures without reducing safety.

The guidelines target ship managers and major shippers such as mining and oil companies. These clients hire shipping companies to move raw materials and fuel. They expect high safety standards and systems that work under pressure.  Clear SMSs make daily operations safer and more reliable.

ClassNK and Lovoy Training Inc. signed a cooperation agreement in 2024. That agreement focused on reducing confusion in SMS texts while meeting legal requirements. The new guidelines include specific details of how to simplify SMS effectively without losing facts.

Lovoy Training Inc. has published a summary, an extract, and instructions for downloading the full PDF:
https://lovoy.info/article/new-classnk-prime-shipmanagement-guidelines

Separately, ClassNK has released its ‘Guidelines for Safety Operation for Ammonia-Fueled Vessels’. The guidelines summarise specific precautions and management methods for the transportation, storage, and operation of ammonia fuel, and provide practical content that can be used in the field from the perspective of seafarers. This includes measures to be taken in the event of an ammonia leak in consideration of health, and requirements for personnel protection equipment (PPE) and emergency equipment.