Risk analysis and management
SOLAS Chapter V regulation 12 and 13 state that Contracting Governments should undertake to arrange for the establishment of VTS and AtoN Services where the volume of traffic and the degree of risk justifies such services. Conducting a Risk Assessment is an essential step in this process.
IALA, together with others, developed the IALA Risk Management Toolbox to address the need for appropriate tools to conduct such maritime risk assessments. This IALA Risk Assessment Toolbox was formally endorsed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) through circular SN.1/Circ.296 in December 2010.
In December 2024, during its 109th session, the IMO Maritime Safety Committee reviewed and approved a revised version of this circular—SN.1/Circ.296/Rev.1—aimed at strengthening the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of navigation by updating the previous version and disseminating the IALA Risk Management Toolbox more broadly.
Contracting Governments considering to conduct Risk Assessments using the IALA Risk Management Toolbox can contact the IALA World-Wide Academy for advice on the use of the IALA Waterway Risk Assessment Programme tool, (IWRAP MkII), the Port and Waterways Safety Assessment methodology (PAWSA) and the Simple IALA Risk Assessment tool (SIRA).
