Master's review

The master’s review is the periodic feedback report the master submits to the company on how well the shipboard safety management system is working, required by ISM Code Element 5 on the master’s responsibility and authority. The master assesses whether procedures are practical and being followed, identifies deficiencies and improvement needs, and reports them to shore-based management, which under Element 12 must evaluate the SMS. The company fixes the interval in the SMS; many require at least one review per master’s contract. The review feeds the company’s management review and the continual-improvement loop. Internal and external ISM auditors check that master’s reviews are genuine and acted upon, treating a box-ticking review as a nonconformity.