Plenty of shipping companies and port operators can produce an ISPS security plan on request — the real test is whether that plan is actually followed on a Tuesday afternoon when nothing unusual seems to be happening. Security gaps rarely show up as dramatic breaches; they show up as a gate left unmonitored, a visitor log nobody checks, or a risk assessment that was written once and never revisited. The Closing the Gaps: ISPS Code Implementation Training Course, delivered by Arab British Fellowship Training Academy, is built for the people responsible for turning an ISPS plan from a document into daily practice across ships and port facilities.

The course moves through what effective port facility protection looks like in practice, how ship security procedures hold up under routine operations rather than just inspections, and how to run a maritime security risk assessment that actually identifies where an organisation is exposed. From there, participants learn to translate assessments into security plans that survive contact with real operations, and close by examining how compliance and security get tested — through audits, incidents, and the regulatory scrutiny that follows both. Participants leave able to implement ISPS Code requirements as an operating discipline, not a filing exercise.

Who Should Attend?

• Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs) and Ship Security Officers (SSOs)
• Maritime security and terminal security managers
• Shipping company and port operations managers
• Vessel managers and marine superintendents
• Maritime compliance and risk management professionals

What You'll Gain

• Understand the purpose, structure and requirements of the ISPS Code in practice
• Implement port facility protection measures that hold up under routine operations
• Establish ship security procedures backed by clear roles and responsibilities
• Conduct maritime security risk assessments that identify real exposure
• Develop and maintain security plans that survive contact with daily operations
• Respond to security incidents and prepare for audits and regulatory review

Module 1: From Paper Plan to Working Practice: Why ISPS Implementation Is the Real Challenge

• How security plans succeed or fail based on daily habits, not the document itself
• Roles and responsibilities that keep implementation consistent across ships and ports

Module 2: Locking Down the Port: Facility Security in Practice

• Access control, monitoring, and restricted-area management that actually works
• Building port facility protection procedures suited to real traffic and staffing

Module 3: Securing the Ship: Onboard Security Procedures

• Ship security officer duties and onboard security communication systems
• Coordinating security activities between ships and port facilities

Module 4: Reading the Threat: Maritime Security Risk Assessment

• Identifying threats, vulnerabilities and security gaps systematically
• Evaluating potential impact on ships and port facilities to prioritise action

Module 5: Turning Assessments Into Plans: Developing and Maintaining Security Plans

• Structuring ship and port security plans around assessed risk
• Updating plans as operations, threats and regulations change

Module 6: When Compliance Is Tested: Audits, Incidents and Regulatory Scrutiny

• Maintaining documentation and records that support inspection readiness
• Managing security incidents and closing out non-compliance findings