Page 24 - 2022 - Q1 - Minerva in Focus

CAPTAINS & 1ST ENGINEERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES ON SAFETY CULTURE

SIRE 2.0 REDESIGNING TANKER INSPECTIONS How can a Captain/ Chief Engineer encourage a safety
This issue’s key Question

culture onboard?

Capt. Christos Zachos
Capt. Biletsky Yevgeniy
Capt. Konstantinos Kappas
Master of M/T Minerva Lydia
Master of M/T Minerva Grace
Master of M/T Minerva Joanna
A vessel’s safety culture is
to do with the perceptions
the product of individual
least three fundamental
and group values, atti-
of the entire crew and not
steps to creating a positive
safety culture onboard:
tudes, perceptions, com- A ship’s safety culture has In my opinion, there are at
individual perceptions of
petencies, and behavioral safety. But first, let us de-
patterns that determine the organiza- fine what safety culture is. Although there
tion’s commitment, style, and proficiency are many definitions, a simple one that I find 1. Assess your current safety culture
regarding health and safety management. very informative is the following: Before you can begin to improve your
The Master’s role is to improve the safety safety culture, you need to make sure
culture onboard by inspiring the entire “Safety culture is the environment onboard you know where your current safety lev-
crew to have positive attitudes towards where the crew members perform each job el stands. Start by asking the following
safety, setting examples of safety, and re- by applying the required measures, even if questions:
warding those who follow safety rules. He bypassing these measures would be much • Is everyone aware of your current
must determine and implement the most more convenient and faster.” safety standards?
appropriate leadership style to ensure • How committed is the crew, from sen-
success. Achieving all the above requires The master’s leadership characteristics and ior officers to ratings, to promoting
specific steps such as providing effective behavior undoubtedly influence the safety safety?
training to the crew, focusing on learning, culture onboard. Therefore, the master 2. Involve the Crew - Make them par-
and continuously improving the entire must lead his crew by example and, through ticipants in the safety culture, not
crew. “Every task, the right way, every time.” continuous training, make them embrace recipients
the fact that at the end of the day, safety The best way to ensure you are running a
Capt. Georgios Fanourakis culture is not just another company regula- safe operation is to get all your crew mem-
Master of M/T Minerva Ellie tion, but the difference between a serious bers invested in the ship’s safety culture.
incident/accident and being safe. Moreover, Listen to any suggestions they may have
The Master plays a vital reporting unsafe acts, not as a means for about improving safety and allow them
role in encouraging crew criticism or punishment but as a way to to take pride and ownership of the steps
members to raise their learn from mistakes, will enhance the cul- your vessel is taking to eliminate risks.
safety standards and de- ture of safety on board. However, the master
velop a better safety cul- should cultivate a relationship of mutual
ture. He must ensure the crew understands trust and respect with the crew before using
that safety takes precedence over opera- the reported "unsafe acts" as a training tool.
tions and that “safety is the number one
priority.” Great emphasis should be placed Capt. Sergei Iutinskii
on safety equipment onboard, whose con- Master of M/T Minerva Emily
dition should be maintained at the opti-
mum level through the necessary and ap- As we understand, ship-
propriate maintenance. The Master should board safety culture means
encourage the crew to undergo continuous that the entire crew unites
and thorough training on the ship’s safety to ensure that the environ-
equipment. He must ensure that the crew ment onboard remains
members are properly informed about the healthy, safe, and productive. To achieve
company’s safety procedures, that safety this, the Master must ensure that preventive
policies are observed, and that all safety and proactive measures are in place to deal
measures are taken on board. Establishing with anticipated safety hazards. In my opin-
a safety culture that encourages continuous ion, the Master should share his safety vi-
safety improvements is something the Mas- sion with his crew, assign safety responsibil-
ter can achieve by persuading the crew to ities, enforce accountability, build trust, and
always base any activity on the ship on the celebrate success by recognizing efforts
safety rules and risk assessments. publicly to keep everyone motivated and
updated throughout the process.

24 MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 19 / Q1 2022