Guidelines For The Development Of A PWOM The International Maritime Organization (IMO) Polar Code entered into force on 1 January 2017.
It requires ships operating in polar waters to submit a Polar Water Operational Manual (PWOM) to be able to obtain a Polar Ship Certificate. ICS and OCIMF members consider that how a ship is operated in Polar waters, and especially in ice, is a critical aspect for safe operations. The quality of the PWOM will have an impact on achieving safe operations. Appendix II of the Polar Code provides a model PWOM. While this is a useful starting point, ICS and OCIMF members have found that additional information is needed to develop a quality PWOM.