In 2017, the The International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code) – a set of function-based regulations applicable to Arctic and Antarctic waters, with the goal of increasing awareness and improving safety for ship operations in polar waters – entered into force. This article examines the Polar Code’s contribution to the establishment of new standards and guidelines, with the problem under discussion being the extent to which the function-based regulations contribute to enhancing safety for ship operations in the Arctic, given that maritime activities in these waters are associated with great risks and uncertainties. The article gives a historical review, elucidating the background leading to the development of the Polar Code, followed by a review of the structure and key principles of the regulations. Further, ship traffic in the Arctic region and those subject to the Polar Code are examined, followed by a summary of findings and experiences from three survival exercises (SARex I, II and III), performed in northern areas around Svalbard between 2016 and 2018. The article concludes that safe ship operations depend on those subject to the regulations conducting thorough operational risk assessments that cover all potential hazards, in order to mitigate sufficiently. Further, the presence of authorities is found to be crucial, with validation of the adequacy and the dimensioning of the implemented measures being of the essence.

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In 2017, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) implemented the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), with mandatory requirements covering the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. In this conjunction, the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) were amended in 2018. New training requirements were made applicable for dedicated personnel in charge of a navigational watch on ships with a Polar Ship Certificate (PSC) operating in polar waters. In association with the new training requirements amending the STCW Convention, the IMO, and Transport Canada (flag state authority) signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2017, for Canada to develop and deliver four regional capacity-building “train-the-trainer” workshops. The objectives of these events were to assist maritime education and training (MET) institutes in enhancing the skills and competence of instructors, to develop competence-based STCW training programs, for dedicated personnel on ships operating in polar waters. This paper examines the first workshop conducted in Canada (2019), to understand the mechanisms in the interaction taking place between the IMO and the Canadian workshop developers and instructors, using the System Theoretic Accident Model and Processes (STAMP). Individual expert interviews are performed, with the main contributors directly involved in developing and conducting the workshop, to evaluate the event’s contribution to improving and specifying the STCW Convention’s training requirements, as referenced in the Polar Code, for seafarers operating in polar waters.