A plain-English walkthrough of every AMSA Safety Management System requirement for Australian commercial vessel operators. Updated for Marine Order 504 (June 2025).
If you run a commercial vessel in Australia — a charter, a tinny on hire, a fishing boat, a tender, a dive boat or a passenger ferry — you need a Safety Management System. The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) requires it under Marine Order 504. This page explains what an SMS actually is, what it has to contain, and the fastest way to build one that survives a survey.
Start your free SMS →A Safety Management System is the written description of how you operate your vessel safely. It is not a one-off form. It is a living document containing your vessel's details, your procedures, your risk assessments, your emergency response plans, your maintenance schedule, and your crew induction records. The principle behind Marine Order 504 is simple: what is in the SMS must match what actually happens on the boat.
Recreational vessels and visiting foreign-flagged vessels are not covered by Marine Order 504.
| Section | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| Vessel details | Name, AMSA number, dimensions, survey class, hull material, engines, equipment. |
| Operational area & limits | NSCV Part B service category (1A through 4E), area of operation, weather and condition limits. |
| Roles & responsibilities | Owner, master, designated person, crew. Including the designated person added in the June 2025 update. |
| Operational procedures | Departure, voyage, arrival, anchoring, mooring, refuelling, passenger management. |
| Risk assessments | Vessel-specific hazards and how each is controlled. Plus the new formal stability risk assessment. |
| Emergency response | Fire, flooding, MOB, collision, grounding, medical, abandon ship, assembly station. |
| Drug & alcohol policy | Mandatory under the June 2025 changes. |
| Fatigue management | Mandatory under the June 2025 changes. |
| Maintenance | Scheduled maintenance, defect logging, engine and gear servicing. |
| Crew induction | Sign-on procedure, familiarisation, drills, records. |
| Records | Incidents, near-misses, drills, maintenance, training. Kept and retained. |
Three honest options:
The seven new requirements every Australian DCV operator must now meet:
The depth of your SMS scales with your vessel's NSCV service category. A Class 1A passenger vessel offshore is held to a higher standard than a Class 4E inland tender. See our NSCV vessel class breakdown for the full classification.
The written document and procedures every Domestic Commercial Vessel operator must maintain under AMSA's Marine Order 504. It covers how the vessel is run, who is responsible for what, how risks are managed, and what happens in an emergency.
Every owner or operator of a Domestic Commercial Vessel — charter, fishing, hire and drive, work, ferry, dive and tender vessels. Recreational vessels are exempt.
Yes. AMSA publishes free Word templates, and SMS Builder offers a free digital builder for one vessel.
At least annually, and whenever the vessel, crew, equipment or operation changes materially.