Polar Code requires that the ship operating in Other Waters, which is in ice concentrations of 10 % or more, needs to use a risk assessment method for defining risk for ice operations. IMO has developed a method called POLARIS to perform the risk assessment. As input ice concentration and stage of development are needed. Alternatively, ice thickness information can be used to define the stage of development if that is available. POLARIS can be used in planning operations or when operating in ice.