In order to help you comply with the Polar Code, you can either use our online interactive toolkit, or download all of the relevant resources from the tabs below.
The Polar Code: A Regulatory Interpretation Guide
The Polar Code is, in part, goal based. As this is a new regulatory approach, we have prepared an interpretation guide to help you understand the meaning of some of the text. Our guide has the complete Polar Code text on one side of the page, with our commentary and guidance on the opposite side. We have used colour coding for easy reference across the pages.
How to use POLARIS
The Polar Operational Limit Assessment Risk Indexing System (POLARIS) is an accepted methodology from the International Maritime Organization (IMO) that can be used to assess the operational capabilities and limitations of a ship in ice. Our guide provides step-by-step instructions on how to use POLARIS to understand the ship's risk level using the ice class and ice conditions.
Operating Envelope: Guidance note and template
An operating envelope identifies the conditions in which a ship is intended to operate. These conditions are used as inputs when using the Polar Code and setting the ship's operational limitations. Our guide and template helps you identify these inputs in a structured way, so that you can start to use the parts of the Code that are relevant to your operations.
Limitation Wording for Polar Ship Certificate: Guidance note
The Polar Code Certificate has ship limitations for ice conditions, low temperatures and high latitudes. In order to understand at an early stage what limitations will be relevant for your ship's certificate, we have prepared a guide with standard wording. You can use this to understand how your ship will be limited, based on the inputs from the operating envelope.
Operational Assessement: Guidance note and template
The Polar Code requires an operational assessment to be undertaken for all ships. The assessment is used to set operational limitations, determine the balance between operational procedures and equipment provision, and identify any additional hazards that the Code has not already addressed. Our guidance note explains how the operational assessment fits into the Polar Code, and our template leads you through the steps to enable you to submit the results of the completed assessment for review.
Meeting the Polar Code 1 January: Guidance for existing ships
The Polar Code is in two mandatory Parts, Part IA addresses safety aspects and Part IIA relates to environmental protection. Part IIA is the first part of the Code to enter in to force for existing ships. Our guidance note explains what operational steps and procedures need to be in place to operate in polar waters from the 1 January 2017.