Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) is an international maritime convention working to achieve safety for merchant ships. As part of this treaty, the safe operation of ships and pollution prevention is encouraged by the International Safety Management (ISM) Code.
COMPLIANCE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY
To comply with the ISM Code, there are numerous best practices and procedures a vessel must adopt. The most noticeable requirement is the adoption of a Safety Management System (SMS). Learn more about what an SMS is and its functional requirements here, or to read about our Riela electronic SMS (eSMS) offering, click here. See below for a more comprehensive summary of the ISM Code requirements broken down by implementation.
1. Application of an SMS that ensures safety at sea, compliance with mandatory rules and regulations.
2. Adopt and implement a safety and environmental protection policy.
3. Define the company responsibilities, authority and the interrelation of all personnel who affect safety and pollution prevention.
4. Appoint a Designated Person Ashore (DPA) to ensure safe operations and to provide a link between the company and those on board.
5. Define the Master’s responsibilities and the overriding authority to make decisions with respect to safety and pollution prevention.
6. Maintaining adequate resources, trained and qualified personnel both aboard and ashore.
7. Establish procedures, plans and instructions for key shipboard operations concerning safety and environmental protection.
8. Identify potential emergency shipboard situations, establish contingency plans and conduct regular drills and exercises to practice emergency preparedness.
9. Report and analyse non-conformities, accidents and hazardous occurrences, with the aim to embrace lessons learnt and improve safety and pollution prevention by avoiding future recurrence.
10. Maintain the ship in conformity with the provisions of the relevant rules.
11. Establish and maintain procedures to control all documents and ensure that obsolete documents are promptly removed.
12. Regular verification, review and evaluation of the effectiveness of the SMS and its implementation both aboard and ashore.
The most noticeable benefit of ISM compliance is the improved safety of personnel and the reduction in risk to life. On top of this, ISM compliance also encourages several favourable conditions:
Continuous training and improvement in safety are encouraged through the ISM Code. This inherits an improved safety culture with all personnel onboard.
The ISM Code recognises that safety at sea extends to its surrounding environment. With this, pollution prevention is an innate aspect of ISM compliant vessel operation.
Under the ISM Code, a designated person must be allocated. Alongside continuous training, this prepares all personnel for an emergency incident onboard.
Depending on the tonnage of the commercial vessel or for any privately registered vessel wishing to voluntarily comply, either of the following options is applicable:
If you are unsure which system applies to your vessel, ask or email one of our team members.
Riela Yachts are safety and compliance experts and would welcome the chance to discuss your specific requirements and demo how our technology keeps safety at the centre of vessel operations.
Click to find out more about our Mini ISM or eSMS systems.
By definition of the ISM Code, there are two types of non-conformity:
An observed situation where the objective evidence indicates the non-fulfilment of a specified requirement.
Major non-conformity
An identifiable deviation that poses a serious threat to the safety of personnel or the ship or a serious risk to the environment that requires immediate corrective action or the lack of effective and systematic implementation of a requirement of this code.
By requirement of the ISM Code, an internal audit must take place once every 12 months. However, the ISM Code states that in exceptional circumstances, this interval may be exceeded by not more than three months.
By definition of the ISM Code, Personnel carrying out audits should be independent of the areas being audited unless this is impracticable due to the size and the nature of the Company.
With over 20 years of experience in the yachting industry, Petra has built a strong foundation in both onboard operations and crew recruitment. Her decade as a chief stewardess gave her first hand insight into the demands of yacht life, while her extensive experience in recruitment has allowed her to connect top-tier talent with the right opportunities.
Passionate about excellence in yacht crew placement, Petra takes pride in understanding the unique needs of both clients and candidates. Her industry expertise, vast network, and commitment to quality ensure a seamless and professional recruitment experience.
Jay Houghton is the Riela Group Finance Director. Jay is responsible for overseeing the Financial Strategy of the Group alongside the financial reporting and control structure of the Group and its companies.
As a qualified accountant with over 30-years in the financial and service industries, Jay has built a wealth of experience in business analysis, investment appraisal, financial control and reporting.
Cameron “Fin” Findlay became a part of the Riela Yachts team in late 2021, initially joining as a Trainee Yacht Safety & Compliance Assistant. Fin’s commitment and dedication have enabled him to understand the intricacies of the industry from the ground up, leading him to being promoted to Yacht Safety & Compliance Officer in 2023. Fin is now a qualified Company Security Officer (CSO), actively contributing to the implementation of Riela’s Safety Management System across our fleet, working closely alongside Clive Harrison and George Self.
Christian Crompton is the Riela Yachts’ Product and Development Lead responsible for translating the requirements and operations of the Safety and Compliance team and implementing this into the forefront of the electronic Safety Management System (eSMS).
Since graduating with a first-class honours degree in Computer and Information Security in 2018, Christian has worked on designing and developing superyacht solutions using Laserfiche in the Maritime Software Industry.
With Christian’s security background and software experience streamlining business processes, Christian applies his knowledge into the Riela Yachts strategy and innovates new systems for both Riela and their clients.
Tony Partridge is a Product and Development specialist at Riela Yachts where he will be working closely alongside Mark Bridson and Christian Crompton. Tony’s main focus is building an innovative client focused dashboard, whilst providing a new outlook and perspective to our current processes, policies and procedures.
Before joining Riela, Tony started his own web development business where he built applications and websites for a large group of different sectors, growing a strong and long-lasting clientele base. With over 10 years of experience, Tony brings a depth of knowledge and expertise to the Riela Yachts team which will be used to help progress the company’s development through the innovation and development of Riela Yachts solutions.
Rob Tobin is the Managing Director of the Riela Group of Companies and is responsible for overseeing our business operations, our people and driving excellence in all we do.
Robert brings over 25 years of successful leadership and entrepreneurial experience across a range of industries including Family Office, corporate services, construction engineering, Superyachts, cyber security and information technology development to our Group, and to our customers.
In the past 15 years Rob has gained a prominent reputation within the Superyacht industry for his passion, integrity, innovation and achievements to date.
“Being part of an awesome, capable and forward-thinking team that have a shared passion for Superyachts, people and the environment is the highlight of my career and puts a smile on my face and a spring in my step every day”.
Clive Harrison is a Director at Riela Yachts and leads the Operations Team.
After a 22 year service as a Deck Officer in the UK Royal Navy, Clive moved ashore and is enjoying a second career, spanning over a decade, in the yachting industry and relishing the challenges that this brings.
Clive brings a wealth of expertise and experience to our Company and has earned a reputation for providing a professional and pragmatic approach to the delivery of our services.
George Self is a Safety & Compliance Manager and responsible for the implementation and development of operational compliance for yachts at the company.
Accruing a 10-year service of sea time, beginning as a deckhand before respectfully concluding her career as a Chief Officer, George now contributes a wealth of first-hand practice and insight into the support she now provides to yachts daily. George also brings shore side experience from her time working at a number of established Ship Management firms on the Isle of Man.
Ken Hickling is a company Director at Riela Yachts (UK) Ltd.
Ken has spent over 30 years working in the Yachting industry at Boatyards and materials manufacturers, and more recently as a Specialist Business Advisor. During this time Ken has served as International Superyacht Society (ISS) President and is currently on the Superyacht UK Executive Committee. He also works as a project leader on the ISO work group focused on Superyacht Quality.
The experience that he brings to The Riela Group in optimising our internal business processes helps to ensure that the quality of service we provide to our clients is at the highest level.
Louise Gimson is a Director, Senior Administrator and in-house HR Manager and is responsible for the day to day running of the company and client accounts at the Riela Yachts.
With an extensive background in finance, Louise brings almost twenty five years experience in accounts within the ship management industry to Riela Yachts, where she is dedicated to implementing dynamic solutions to benefit clients.
Louise has diversified her responsibilities by taking on data handling duties within the company and in 2016 began assisting the Operations Team with internal compliance procedures.
Simon is the Commercial Director at the Riela Group, responsible for driving business growth, enhancing client experiences, and ensuring our yacht management services set new standards of excellence.
With a proven track record in healthcare, construction, and technology, Simon brings a wealth of experience in marketing, commercial strategy, and operational leadership at the C-suite level. His ability to align commercial objectives with operational execution has been instrumental in delivering measurable success throughout his career.
Now immersed in the world of yacht management, Simon is dedicated to providing tailored solutions for owners and captains, ensuring seamless operations while upholding the highest standards of luxury and safety. Passionate about collaboration and innovation, he thrives in dynamic environments that demand adaptability, precision, and a client-first approach.
Mark Bridson is a Product and Development specialist and responsible for the integration of Laserfiche within the company and the developing of an electronic Safety Management System.
Marks career started in the Royal Air Force as a data analyst maintaining Aircraft engineering records and the provision of Aircraft statistics.
Returning to the Island Mark spent the next 25 years working in IT for an aircraft design company. In this role he provided Computer Aided Design and document management support for offices within the UK and Europe.
Moving from the Aircraft industry to Maritime, Mark has spent two years with a Yachting software solutions company using Laserfiche to design purchase ordering systems for Superyachts.
Tina oversees the day-to-day management of the Crewing Department, ensuring smooth operations and excellent service for both clients and crew.
Her career began in the UK Royal Navy, where she served for twelve years. After leaving the Navy in 2001, she gained valuable experience in HR and Recruitment within the NHS before moving into the superyacht industry in 2011.
Since joining Riela in 2017, Tina has been instrumental in providing expert guidance on crew employment, compliance, and best practices. With over 14 years of experience in the field, she is committed to delivering exceptional customer service, staying up to date with current legislation, and ensuring that all crew employment processes run efficiently.
Tina’s
qualifications include a Certificate in Personnel Practice, a Foundation Degree
in HR Management, and a Diploma in Crew Management (with Distinction) – reinforcing
her expertise and dedication to the industry.
Christian is involved across the Riela family of companies with particular attention to the technology businesses, Cyber and Tech.
Christian gained a postgraduate Master in Finance degree at the University of Neuchatel, Switzerland and completed his MBA at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.
Before joining us, Christian worked for six years at Argosy Capital, an Isle of Man-based private equity and venture capital business focusing on early-stage growth businesses. At Argosy, he focused on managing investment companies, research and financial analysis and served as a director on several boards.
