Isle of Man: Key changes to marine casualty reporting

The Isle of Man Ship Registry has issued Manx Shipping Notice 003 (Rev. 2) on December 20, 2024, to provide guidance on the reporting and investigation of marine casualties, accidents, and incidents. This notice is crucial for operators to ensure compliance with both the IMO Casualty Investigation Code and the Isle of Man’s Merchant Shipping (Accident Reporting and Investigation) Regulations 2001, which apply the Casualty Code within the Isle of Man. The regulations were created before the IMO Casualty Code and contain some differences that operators should be aware of.

Key Updates and Changes:

1. Updated Accident Reporting Form (ARF-1)
   The most significant change is the introduction of a revised Accident Reporting Form (ARF-1). Starting January 1, 2025, all reports must be submitted using this new version of the form, which is available on the Ship Registry's website. Any old paper copies of the previous ARF-1 form should be destroyed, as they will no longer be accepted. From this date, only electronic submissions will be accepted via the email address This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This change aligns with the registry’s efforts to streamline the reporting process and improve data management.
2. Mandatory Electronic Reporting
   A significant shift is that paper submissions will no longer be accepted from January