Hundreds of vessels remain unable to transit the Strait of Hormuz and, in the event of a return to more normal navigation conditions, the movement of all those vessels within the Strait could represent a considerable navigational hazard. To help mitigate the risk, the industry organisations ICS, BIMCO, INTERCARGO, INTERTANKO, IMCA, and OCIMF have worked together to produce guidance aimed at assisting ships in transiting the Strait of Hormuz. The document complements the Best Management Practices Maritime Security (BMP MS) and is intended to support voyage-specific threat and risk assessment, facilitating shipboard and office planning.
The safety of life, safe navigation and protection of environment remain the primary considerations, with the Master retaining overriding authority. A structured decision process has been developed to aid companies and to consider the likely threat scenario in the risk assessment for each ship.
The document complements the Best Management Practices Maritime Security (BMP MS) and is intended to support voyage-specific threat and risk assessment.