1. An Interim Document of Compliance may be issued to facilitate the initial implementation of this Code when:
a Company is newly established;
new ship types are to be added to an existing Document of Compliance,
Following verification that the Company has a safety management system that meets the objectives of paragraph 1.2.3 of this Code, provided the Company demonstrates plans to implement a safety management system meeting the full requirements of this Code within the period of validity of the Interim Document of Compliance. Such an Interim Document of Compliance should be issued for a period not exceeding 12 months by the Administration or by an organization recognized by the Administration or, at the request of the Administration, by another Contracting Government. A copy of the Interim Document of Compliance should be placed on board in order that the master of the ship if so requested, may produce it for verification by the Administration or by an organization recognized by the Administration or for the purposes of the control referred to in regulation IX/6.2 of the Convention. The copy of the document is not required to be authenticated or certified.
2. An Interim Safety Management Certificate may be issued:
to new ships on delivery;
when a Company takes on responsibility for the operation of a ship which is new to the Company; or
when a ship changes flag.
Such an Interim Safety Management Certificate should be issued for a period not exceeding 6 months by the Administration or an organization recognized by the Administration or, at the request of the Administration, by another Contracting Government.
3. An Administration or, at the request of the Administration, another Contracting Government may, in special cases, extend the validity of an Interim Safety Management Certificate for a further period which should not exceed 6 months from the date of expiry.
4. An Interim Safety Management Certificate may be issued following verification that:
the Document of Compliance, or the Interim Document of Compliance, is relevant to the ship concerned;
the safety management system provided by the Company for the ship concerned includes key elements of this Code and has been assessed during the audit for issuance of the Document of Compliance or demonstrated for issuance of the Interim Document of Compliance;
the Company has planned the internal audit of the ship within three months;
the master and officers are familiar with the safety management system and the planned arrangements for its implementation;
instructions, which have been identified as being essential, are provided prior to sailing; and
relevant information on the safety management system has been given in a working language or languages understood by the ship’s personnel.