OVERSEAS MARINE CERTIFICATION SERVICES (OMCS)

ISM CODE PROCEDURES

ISM-PR-09

PROCEDURES CONCERNING MAJOR

NON-CONFORMITIES

Pag. 1
Rev. 00

9. PROCEDURES CONCERNING OBSERVED ISM CODE MAJOR NONCONFORMITIES

9.1 OMCS auditors are required to report to the Head Office any major nonconformity observed when undergoing annual, intermediate, occasional or
follow-up audits.
9.2 Major non-conformities may be downgraded to non-conformities if
immediate corrective action is taken in order to minimize the seriousness
of the non-conformity. A schedule not exceeding three months should be
agreed for completion of the corrective actions, and OMCS must carry out
an additional audit within the time frame indicated in the agreed corrective
action plan to verify that effective actions are taken.
9.3 Upon request of the Administration, a Port State, or another Recognized
Organization, OMCS Head Office shall provide relevant information
available to the interested party concerning the current validity of the
Document of Compliance presented by a ship.
9.4 OMCS Head Office shall inform the relevant administration(s) of any
major non-conformity that leads to the withdrawal of a Document of
Compliance or Safety Management Certificate, or that has been allowed
to be downgraded and that corrective actions have been satisfactorily
completed. When another Recognized Organization is involved in the ISM
Code Certification of a Company or ship, such Recognized Organization
shall also be informed.
9.5

If the DOC of a Company is withdrawn, an Interim DOC is not to be

issued. Furthermore, a new DOC should not be issued unless and initial
verification or an additional verification to the extent and scope of an initial
verification has been carried out. In such cases, the auditor shall issue a
Temporary DOC and report to the Head Office as per procedures. The
new DOC issue by OMCS Head Office shall have the same date of expiry
as the withdrawn document.

9.6 When the associated SMCs are withdrawn as a result of the withdrawal
of the DOC caused by a major non-conformity, new SMCs shall not be
issued unless the DOC has been re-instated and a verification to the
scope of an initial verification has been carried out on board the ships on a
representative sable basis. At least one ship of each type operated by the
Company should be verified.
9.7 If an OMCS auditor has determined that a ship is possession of an
apparently valid SMC, but that the DOC of the Management Company
Approved by:
(GAC)

Reviewed by:
(JAC)

Revision Date:
August 1st, 2004

of

OVERSEAS MARINE CERTIFICATION SERVICES (OMCS)

ISM CODE PROCEDURES
ISM-PR-09

PROCEDURES CONCERNING MAJOR

NON-CONFORMITIES

Pag. 2
Rev. 00

(which was issued by another authority) has been withdrawn, the auditor
must proceed to withdraw the SMC.
9.8 An Interim SMC should not be issued to a ship whose SMC has been
withdrawn. Furthermore, a new SMC shall not be issued unless an initial
verification or an additional verification to the extent and scope of an initial
verification has been carried out on board the ship. In addition, depending
on the nature of the major non-conformity raised against the SMC
implemented on board the ship, the validity of the DOC may also need to
be verified by an audit, equivalent in scope to an annual audit, prior to the
issue of the SMC. In such cases, the auditor shall issue Temporary SMC
and report to the Head Office as per procedures. The new SMC issued by
the Head Office shall bear the same expiry date as the withdrawn one.

Approved by:
(GAC)

Reviewed by:
(JAC)

Revision Date:
August 1st, 2004

of