Document of Compliance (DOC)

A Document of Compliance is issued to a company, not a ship, certifying that its safety-management system meets the ISM Code for the ship types it operates. Under SOLAS Chapter IX the company must hold a valid DOC, and a copy must be carried aboard each ship, before the ship’s own Safety Management Certificate can be issued. The DOC is verified by annual audit; failure to maintain the system, or a major non-conformity, can lead to its withdrawal, which invalidates the SMCs of the company’s whole fleet.