We will keep this short….. YES YES YES!
This year, 2023, has seen many changes in our industry already, and we are only in February!
With the recent changes to Marine Order 504 and the release of Marine Order 505 last month, an Annual Review of your SMS is not only necessary but critical!
All Safety Management Systems including those developed for Domestic Commercial Vessels (DCV) under Marine Order 504 and the ones developed for workplaces under Work Health and Safety are required to undergo an Annual Review or Audit to ensure compliance.
Failure to complete your Annual Review or Audit leaves you non-compliant and exposed to legal action in the event of an incident or accident.
Your vessel’s SMS should be based on a risk assessment of your operations. It should describe how safety, maintenance and operation is managed on your vessel. This should also be reviewed Annually to ensure the risk assessment remains accurate to your vessel and/or operations.
AMSA can and will conduct periodic reviews of your Safety Management System and Operations. With the changes that we have seen already this year, we certainly envisage this will be on the increase for 2023!
It has never been more important to ensure your SMS meets NSCV and Marine Order 504 and 505.
Shorlink’s Recommendation
My recommendation is to get out your SMS today, take a look at it thoroughly!
Also, take a close look at your vessel, business and operations to see where and how you can better adapt to the ongoing business climate and the changes to our industry.
Don’t wait!
Tip
My top tip is to ensure your safety management systems comply with the relevant standards and are up to date to ensure you’re protected as both AMSA and WorkSafe are going to be very active this year.
Not sure? We are always here to help. Drop us a line or call to discuss your concerns.
Also, help a mate in the industry! If you know of a fellow mariner and/or business owner, let them also know of the critical nature of Annual Reviews and we are also happy to discuss with them and offer free assessments of their current SMS.
