Keep everyone in the safety loop.
The importance of communication within a dry bulk shipping organisation should never be underestimated. Having the right channels in place, or creating them if not, is essential to promoting a strong proactive HSSE culture throughout any maritime organisation.
It’s the responsibility of senior management to demonstrate their commitment to HSSE across the company. Developing policies and initiating goals and objectives to implement a clear safety management system should be a priority. Responsibilities undertaken by senior members include the defining and allocation of necessary resources from all levels of staff and crew to help meet these objectives.
To achieve and maintain high levels of HSSE senior managers should take an active role in performance reviews during periodical management meetings. Reliable performance indicators reflect hazards to which staff may be exposed and enable the company to measure and identify HSSE performance trends. Management meetings raise the perfect opportunity for managers and supervisors to discuss objectives and targets and to follow up on any actionable items to demonstrate HSSE commitment from all vessel and shore-based personnel. Typical examples may include a company reward system that recognises HSSE performance and the opportunity to submit ideas and suggestions to enhance HSSE standards.
By monitoring and identifying regulatory HSSE requirements, the company determines how these apply to the dry bulk shipping organisation. With a Stop Work Authority programme in place in the company’s Safety Management System this empowers personnel to exercise the right to stop work where safety is an issue. Once again, it is imperative for this to be communicated and understood by staff across all levels of the company. There should be evidence of Stop Work promoted through posters, safety talks and training driven by senior management. It’s also their role to review incident investigations, audit feedback and appraisals.
It’s important that management is visible in its commitment to HSSE and leading by example goes a long way in fostering a strong HSSE culture amongst staff and crew.
To create an environment where all employees are informed and involved in HSSE matters, regular vessel visits for shore staff should be organised. These visits, that form part of the manager’s HSSE objectives, should take place twice a year and can be carried on passage as well as in port. This allows shore personnel to get involved and add value to the ships’ HSSE commitments through on-board activities such as workshops, inspections and training.
By conducting vessel visits the company gains a rich source of findings and feedback. This is analysed, documented and communicated to the fleet, ensuring them that their vessel is on an even keel to achieving HSSE Excellence.
To help ship owners and senior staff maintain a robust safety management system the DBCE developed the Dry Bulk Management Standard. Once implemented, this easy-to-use self-assessment tool helps a maritime company not only meet but also exceed regulatory HSSE standards for the good of all its people.
Find out more and subscribe to the DryBMS framework here.
