We dealt with an essential issue-we believe-which is Quality vs. Safety in Shipping. Shipping is not proud for achieving zero defects or accidents, as it should. Efforts in the past-prior to 1998-for the industry to implement ISO 9000 failed and a full investigation is here made whether even the-for us-safety standard ISM Code-after 1998-will succeed. So, we have proposed a Total Safety Management philosophy, and a step further, which is a Safety Culture for ship's Manager (Captain). ISM Code regrettably failed to recognise the actual role of Captain and restricted itself to 'commitment on top'.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to inform readers comprehensively and sufficiently about the marine accident of MV Samina Express with 80+2 dead in the Aegean Sea in September 2000.Design/methodology/approachThe paper uses analysis of court and experts as well as published papers on the accident using nonlinear management techniques.FindingsWhen dialogue and communications in shipping companies fail then accidents to vessels result.Research limitations/implicationsThere was difficult access to court material and limited information on actual causes and the action of payers.Practical implicationsOpen communications can aid in finding the cause of accidents.Originality/valueThe paper reveals the causes of accident due to human errors in a clear way; it outlines the responsibility of the captain as manager of the ship; and shows where and why the dialogue and communication fails.

No abstract