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ISM internal audit checklist
Eight sections, sixty-odd verifiable items — the questions an internal auditor actually asks, in the order an audit runs. Tick items off as you go; your progress is saved in this browser, and you can print the result as a PDF for the audit file.
0 of 41 items complete
1. Plan the audit
Preparation decides how painful the audit day is. Do this two to three weeks before attendance.
2. Documentation and certificates
3. Company responsibility and the DPA
4. Resources, training and drills
5. Shipboard operations and maintenance
6. Emergency preparedness
7. Reporting, analysis and improvement
8. Close the audit properly
Stop rebuilding this checklist every year.
Full Ahead keeps every item above as a live record against your vessels — due dates, responsible officer, attached evidence and a tamper-evident history an auditor can read. It works offline at sea and syncs when the link returns.
Common questions
How often must an ISM internal audit be carried out?
The ISM Code requires internal safety management audits on board and ashore at intervals not exceeding twelve months. A short extension is only acceptable in exceptional circumstances and must be justified in writing to the flag Administration.
Who can carry out an ISM internal audit?
A trained auditor who is independent of the area being audited. On a small operator that usually means the DPA audits the vessels and an external consultant or another company officer audits the shore office, so no one audits their own work.
What is the difference between a non-conformity and a major non-conformity?
A non-conformity is an observed situation where objective evidence shows a requirement has not been met. A major non-conformity is an identifiable deviation posing a serious threat to personnel or the ship, or a serious risk to the environment, requiring immediate corrective action — including the lack of effective and systematic implementation of an ISM requirement.
What evidence should be kept after the audit?
The audit plan, the completed checklist, objective evidence sighted (certificates, drill records, work orders, logbook entries), the non-conformity reports with root-cause analysis, corrective actions with target dates, and the verification of close-out. Retain them until at least the next external audit cycle.
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ISM, PSC campaigns, MARPOL amendments and EU ETS — short, plain English, no sales copy.