Metaprocess is the most important component of safety management as it defines the main steps, procedures and instructions used to ensure safety on board a ship. This article discusses the features of linguistic description of metaprocess in the safety management system of a shipping company. Various aspects of linguistic description of metaprocess including terminology, semantics and syntax are also discussed. The impact of linguistic description on the effectiveness of a shipping company’s safety management system is analyzed. The study shows that the proper use of linguistic metaprocess description can improve the understanding of safety instructions and procedures, contributing to effective safety management on board.