Dry Bulk Management Standard

Published e-book February 2025, hardback March 2025

Created by the Dry Bulk Centre of Excellence (DBCE), the Dry Bulk Management Standard (DryBMS) is a self-assessment framework that aids ship managers and shipowners of bulk carriers to reach the legal requirements of management on board a ship and strive to achieve an optimal level of good management.

These standards provide the requirements for basic compliance and can identify areas of improvement. The DryBMS details how to:

• Self-assess current activities and practices on board
• analyse how well the company is complying with standard criteria
• improve practices, procedures and administrative arrangements.

The goal of the DryBMS is to provide a resource that will help ship managers reach a high standard of safety, security, social welfare and sustainability on board the ship.

The DryBMS consists of self-assessments based on 30 different criteria (Subject Areas) that inform the basic expectations of good management practice. These subjects are divided into four sections - Performance, People, Plant and Process. Additionally, each subject discusses a principle that management should aim towards fulfilling.

Within each subject area, the DryBMS provides expectations and associated targets at four increasing levels: Basic, Intermediate, Advanced and Excellence. Each level describes the comprehensiveness of a company's management system in relation to the subject area. The company's progress in each subject can also be scored using the DBCE's methodology.

The DryBMS was created by shipowners, managers and experts and allows Document of Compliance (DoC) holders to analyse their current practices to see if they align with standard legal requirements. Additionally, the DryBMS provides resources and recommendations for new objectives and targets in order to achieve optimal management and organisational performance.

It would be beneficial to any ship manager to evaluate their performance by assessing each of their company's practices against these good practice criteria, install change and overall raise industry standards.