The icebreakers and their crews are assisting vessels with all their professional skill and expertise and taking in consideration all risks. But however accidents happen sometimes. At winter navigation ships are exposed to greater risks than when sailing in waters free from ice. At break-up of the ice cover, when sailing in convoy and preparing for towage it is not possible always to keep an adequate distance between the ships, which means that the risk for collision between the units involved is increased. Baltic Sea Icebreaking Service will not assume any liability for delay, damage or other loss resulting from icebreaker assistance and which has been caused a ship, its crew, its passengers or its cargo. Assistance and advice are offered a ship at its own risk and the ship being assisted is solely responsible for its navigation.

These conditions have been agreed on by the following states: Estonia, Finland, Sweden, Russia, Denmark and Norway.

The ice charts, ice reports and all other information provided on this webpage are created with the best of knowledge and based on information available to the providing authorities at the moment of issuing. The authorities providing the available information do however not guarantee the correctness of the same after the information has been made available on the webpage. The authorities of the member states of BIM shall not be liable for any lack, shortage or incorrectness in the information or charts provided on these web-pages.