Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) – An Overview

What is Tanker Management and Self Assessment? 

Meeting the high standards and best practices of safety is a prerequisite in the shipping industry. The Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) program lends shipping companies a method to ameliorate and calibrate safety management systems (SMS) that they use. 

This can be done by hand holding ship management systems’ improvement plans. The process involves a thorough assessment of the safety management systems measured up against listed Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). The results to the KPIs range from level 1 representing a minimum expectation increasing to three levels suggestive of best practices. Shipping companies must review the results of their self assessment on a regular basis against the KPIs to spearhead targets for improvement. 

This program supplements quality codes which are in place within the shipping industry by acting as a means to self-regulate. The results of TMSA and the improvements it kickstarts promotes the refinement of operations in the field. To attain the industry benchmarks for best practices, companies can modify their set policies and processes thereby meeting exemplary standards in ensuring safety and environmental protection. 

13 key elements of Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) 

Functioning as a reliable framework and standard against which all safety management systems (SMS) can be measured, Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) programs have 13 key elements. The up-to-date KPIs for each one of the below listed elements are defined in the TMSA3. Shipping operators must conduct a self assessment and tag a rating for their SMS. 

The 13 key elements of Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) are: 

1. Leadership and Safety Management System (SMS)
2. Shore-based human resource recruitment and management 
3. Vessel human resource recruitment, management and well-being 
4. Reliability and maintenance of vessel, including critical equipment 
5. Navigational safety
6. Operations related to cargo, ballast, tank cleaning, bunkering, mooring and anchoring 
7. Change management
8. Reporting of incidents with thorough investigation and analysis
9. Safety management
10. Environmental and energy management
11. Preparedness for emergencies and contingency planning
12. Measurement, analysis and improvement
13. Maritime security (this is the latest addition to these elements)

Benefits of Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA) 

TMSA programs allow vessel operators to keep in check and comply with the increasing maritime regulations. Certain aspects of the TMSA contribute to environmental wellbeing by ensuring responsibility from vessel operators on these matters. It is also overall a rather cost-effective solution. 

The main advantages of TMSA are:

• Raise the Safety Management System (SMS) standards 
• Continued refinement of safety management 
• Maintenance via a preventative approach
• Decrease unprecedented incidents, breakdowns and delays 
• Fewer incidents result in fewer insurance costs which equates with increased savings

Over time, TMSA has functioned as a credible and widely accepted tool to boost safety standards. Over 90% of all shipping operators employ the TMSA as part of their processes.