The purpose of a Safety Management Code is to establish a common standard for safe operation of passenger vessels employed in domestic trade.

The Code is based on general principle and objectives and expressed in such terms that it can be applied to wide variety of ships.

• Companies to develop and implement safe procedures which include the following:

- health and safety protection policy

- procedure to ensure the safe operation of ships in compliance with relevant rules

  line of communication between personal, ashore and afloat

- procedure to responding to emergency situations

- procedure for reporting accidents

• Company to ensure that all persons employed in the operation of the ship receives appropriate training for the duties they are required

• Domestic passenger vessels complied with the International Safety Management Code on a voluntary basis are not required to comply with the DSM Code.