Assessment Brief – Maritime Safety Management

Module Information

University: Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU)

Faculty: Faculty of Engineering and Technology

Programme: BSc (Hons) Maritime Business / Maritime Studies / Shipping and Port Management

Module Title: Maritime Safety and Risk Management

Module Code: (Representative LJMU-style code) 6MRT012

Academic Level: Level 6 (Final Year Undergraduate)

Assessment Type: Individual Written Essay (Assessment 1)

Weighting: 50% of module grade

Word Count: 2,000 words ±10% (excluding references)

Assessment Title

Evaluating Maritime Safety Culture and the Effectiveness of the ISM Code in Contemporary Shipping Operations

Assessment Context

Maritime safety remains central to global shipping operations, regulatory compliance, and organisational accountability. International frameworks such as the International Safety Management (ISM) Code aim to promote a culture of safety, continuous improvement, and risk-based decision-making across vessel and shore-based operations. Despite these frameworks, major incidents continue to occur, raising questions about implementation quality, leadership responsibility, and organisational culture.

This assessment requires critical engagement with maritime safety theory, regulation, and operational practice within the contemporary shipping industry.

Task Description

Write an academic essay that critically evaluates the effectiveness of maritime safety management in modern shipping operations.

Your essay must:

• Analyse the concept of maritime safety culture within shipping organisations.
• Critically evaluate the effectiveness of the ISM Code in reducing accidents and improving safety performance.
• Apply theory to practice using at least one real-world maritime incident or case study.
• Engage with academic literature, industry reports, and international regulatory frameworks.
• Present a coherent, well-structured academic argument supported by credible sources.

Learning Outcomes Assessed

• Demonstrate critical understanding of maritime safety systems and regulatory frameworks.
• Apply theoretical concepts to real-world maritime contexts.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of international safety management practices.
• Communicate complex ideas using appropriate academic writing conventions.

Submission Requirements

• 2,000 words ±10%
• Microsoft Word document (.docx)
• 12-point font, double spaced
• Harvard referencing (LJMU approved style)
• Submitted via Turnitin on the module Canvas site

Marking Criteria (Indicative Rubric)

Effective maritime safety management depends not only on regulatory compliance but also on the quality of organisational culture across ship and shore operations. Evidence from major accident investigations consistently shows that procedural compliance alone does not prevent failure when communication, leadership, and accountability are weak. Research demonstrates that companies embedding safety as a core operational value experience lower incident rates and stronger reporting behaviours (Bhattacharya, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.02.019). A critical evaluation of the ISM Code therefore requires attention to how safety systems are lived in practice rather than how they appear in documentation.

Peer-Reviewed References

Bhattacharya, S. (2015) ‘The effectiveness of the ISM Code: A qualitative enquiry’, Safety Science, 72, pp. 286–298. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.02.019

Özkan, T. and Lajunen, T. (2018) ‘Organizational safety culture in shipping’, Maritime Policy & Management, 45(1), pp. 1–16. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/03088839.2017.1384462

Lappalainen, J., Kuronen, J. and Tapaninen, U. (2020) ‘Evaluation of maritime safety management systems’, WMU Journal of Maritime Affairs, 19, pp. 399–417. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13437-020-00203-1

International Maritime Organization (2022) Revised Guidelines on the Implementation of the ISM Code. London: IMO. Available at: https://www.imo.org

Hetherington, C., Flin, R. and Mearns, K. (2021) ‘Safety in shipping: The human element’, Journal of Safety Research, 78, pp. 98–110. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2021.06.003