The paper begin by examining shipbuilding in the context of competitiveness, specification and cost-effectiveness before considering the impact of safety requirements in the its operations. The basis of the safety case approach is then given, and its application to shipbuilding is illustrated by an example based on the use of staging in ship construction. The key conclusion is that the safety case approach provides the management with a technique for treating potential hazards in shipbuilding so that their risks can be kept within an acceptable level.