The conventions and codes
The ship operates under SOLAS (safety of life at sea), MARPOL (pollution prevention), STCW (training and watchkeeping), the Load Line Convention, the MLC (seafarers' rights), and the Large Yacht Code, overseen by the flag State and by Port State Control, with security under the ISPS Code. The Master must know the duty each imposes, the standard it sets, and where the detail is written — in the relevant convention, code or Merchant Shipping Notice (MSN, MGN, MIN).
The ISM Code and the Master's authority
The ISM Code requires the ship to be operated under a Safety Management System, and gives the Master overriding authority and responsibility to make decisions for the safety of the ship and the protection of the environment, and to request the company's assistance. This authority is the Master's shield against commercial pressure: when safety requires it, the Master's decision prevails, and the Master must be prepared to exercise that authority and to record it.
NOTE — The Master's overriding authority Under the ISM Code the Master has overriding authority to act for the safety of the ship and the protection of the marine environment, and the right to the company's support. It exists precisely so that safety can prevail over commercial pressure.
WARNING — Know the duty, the standard and the source The examiner does not want a legal recital but an officer who knows what the duty is, the standard it must meet, and which convention, code or MSN holds the detail. That is the mark of a professional Master.