Maritime glossary · International Ship and Port Facility Security Code
ISPS Code
The mandatory IMO security framework for ships and port facilities, adopted after 9/11.
Definition
The ISPS Code, brought in under SOLAS Chapter XI-2 after the attacks of 11 September 2001, sets security requirements for ships and the port facilities they use. Ships above 500 GT on international voyages must have an approved Ship Security Plan, a Ship Security Officer, and an International Ship Security Certificate, and must operate at one of three security levels set by the authorities. ISPS compliance is checked at Port State Control and is a condition of entry at most ports.
How Vessel Hunter uses ISPS Code
ISPS status is part of the compliance picture Vessel Hunter assembles per hull, alongside the ISM and class records.
Related terms
- SOLASSafety of Life at Sea
The principal IMO convention on the safety of merchant ships, covering construction, fire protection, life-saving, navigation, and more.
- PSCPort State Control
Inspections of foreign-flagged vessels in a port’s waters, run under regional MoUs to enforce international maritime conventions.
- ISM CodeInternational Safety Management Code
The mandatory IMO framework for safe management and operation of ships, basis of the Document of Compliance and the Safety Management Certificate.
The bigger picture
ISPS Code is one piece of the commercial maritime picture Vessel Hunter pulls together for shipyards, suppliers, service providers, and port agents. Every vessel record bundles AIS, ownership, inspections, dry-dock history, casualty record, classification status, and a verified contact for the operator decision-maker behind the ship, so the team that reaches out first wins the work.
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