Chapter 21 - Co-ordinating an Investigation
Clasification Society 2024 - Version 9.40
Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - International Codes - Casualty Investigation Code - Code of the International Standards and Recommended Practices for a Safety Investigation into a Marine Casualty or Marine Incident - Part III - Recommended Practices - Chapter 21 - Co-ordinating an Investigation

Chapter 21 - Co-ordinating an Investigation

  21.1 The recommendations in this chapter should be applied in accordance with the principles in chapters 10 and 11 of this Code.

  21.2 The marine safety investigating State(s) should ensure that there is an appropriate framework within the State for:

  • .1 the designation of investigators to the marine safety investigation including an investigator to lead the marine safety investigation;

  • .2 the provision of a reasonable level of support to members of the marine safety investigation;

  • .3 the development of a strategy for the marine safety investigation in liaison with other substantially interested States;

  • .4 ensuring the methodology followed during the marine safety investigation is consistent with that recommended in resolution A.1075(28), as amended;

  • .5 ensuring the marine safety investigation takes into account any recommendations or instruments published by the Organization or International Labour Organization, relevant to conducting a marine safety investigation; and

  • .6 ensuring the marine safety investigation takes into account the safety management procedures and the safety policy of the operator of a ship in terms of the ISM Code.

  21.3 The marine safety investigating State(s) should allow a substantially interested State to participate in aspects of the marine safety investigation relevant to it, to the extent practicable.

  21.3.1 Participation should include allowing representatives of the substantially interested State to:

  • .1 interview witnesses;

  • .2 view and examine evidence and make copies of documents;

  • .3 make submissions in respect of the evidence, comment on and have their views properly reflected in the final report; and

  • .4 be provided with the draft and final reports relating to the marine safety investigationfootnote.

  21.4 To the extent practical, substantially interested States should assist the marine safety investigating State(s) with access to relevant information for the marine safety investigation. To the extent practical, the investigator(s) carrying out a marine safety investigation should also be afforded access to Government surveyors, coastguard officers, ship traffic service operators, pilots and other marine personnel of a substantially interested State.

  21.5 The flag State of a ship involved in a marine casualty or marine incident should help to facilitate the availability of the crew to the investigator(s) carrying out the marine safety investigation.


Copyright 2022 Clasifications Register Group Limited, International Maritime Organization, International Labour Organization or Maritime and Coastguard Agency. All rights reserved. Clasifications Register Group Limited, its affiliates and subsidiaries and their respective officers, employees or agents are, individually and collectively, referred to in this clause as 'Clasifications Register'. Clasifications Register assumes no responsibility and shall not be liable to any person for any loss, damage or expense caused by reliance on the information or advice in this document or howsoever provided, unless that person has signed a contract with the relevant Clasifications Register entity for the provision of this information or advice and in that case any responsibility or liability is exclusively on the terms and conditions set out in that contract.