scope:

Scope and Application

The ABS Guide for Marine Health, Safety, Quality, Environmental and Energy Management or the ABS Guide for Marine Management Systems in short, has been developed with the objective of assisting shipowners, managers, and operators to improve the safety, environmental and energy performance in the management and operation of ships. ABS recognizes the positive impact that sound management practices may have upon these areas of concern.

This Guide provides the maritime industry with a model for implementation of an Integrated Management System covering these key issues. This Guide is intended for the use of Companies operating all types of ships. Its requirements have been stated in general terms in order to have application to a wide variety of ship operations and management styles.

The requirements of this Guide have been largely derived from the sound management system principles reflected in the requirements of the "International Management Code for the Safe Operation of Ships and for Pollution Prevention" (also known as the "International Safety Management Code", or more commonly as the "ISM Code"), "Quality management systems - Requirements" (ISO 9001:2015), "Environmental management systems - Requirements with guidance for use" (ISO 14001:2015), "Energy Management Systems - Requirements with guidance for use" (ISO 50001:2011) and "Occupational health and safety management systems - Requirements" (OHSAS 18001:2007). Though the requirements of this Guide have been intended to encompass the requirements of these referenced standards, users of this Guide are encouraged to obtain for themselves copies of these standards for reference. These standards and others associated with them, contain valuable information and guidance useful in understanding the fundamentals and implementation of viable management systems.

Though this Guide has been developed principally as a management system model for occupational health, safe operation, prevention of pollution, preservation of the environment, and improved energy performance, quality concerns are also addressed. While quality management focuses principally upon enhancing customer satisfaction and encouraging fulfillment of customer requirements for quality, ABS considers that the employment of quality principles can have a significant positive impact on achieving goals and objectives in the areas of safety and environmental management. The quality system requirements of this Guide provide prescriptions that are intended to help enhance a health, safety, environmental, and energy management system's effectiveness.