Page 26 - 2022 - Q1 - Minerva in Focus

CAPTAINS & 1ST ENGINEERS SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES ON SAFETY CULTURE a minor injury can slow down a crew mem-

SIRE 2.0 REDESIGNING TANKER INSPECTIONS rying out daily tasks. Before any work, all • to optimum safety; they may indicate work, thus resulting in their repatriation. A
Chief Engineer Trikoilis Antonios
ries, first aid, and near-misses. Never
M/T Minerva Astra
ber’s mobility or make them unable to
assume zero-incident reports equate
an ineffective reporting system.
In my experience, effective
positive safety culture onboard will help
communication between
everyone have a safe working environment
Building trust and celebrating suc-
Officers and crew is a cru-
and be safety conscious working in a safe
cess: Trust is crucial in any team. The
environment where everyone is safety
crew will undoubtedly deliver beyond
cial factor in maintaining
expectations knowing they are being
conscious. Thus, we can all keep our jobs
safety on board when car-
to support our families.
taken care of and recognized for their
precautions and safety measures should
contributions. An employee who feels
be implemented per the company’s SMS,
when no one is looking. Gratitude is a
established for our personal safety. Fur-
dents onboard, but a good safety culture
thermore, crew members should hold rel-
powerful motivator.
can minimize if not eliminate them. Human
Enforcing accountability and provid-
error is defined as the crew’s incompetence
evant safety meetings regularly. By sharing
due to a lack of knowledge, skills, and,
our work experiences on board and ana- • valued will do the right thing – even Human error accounts for 85% of all acci-
ing reporting options: Disallow short-
lyzing the global incidents and accidents cuts concerning safety. Encourage mostly, the right attitude towards safety.
at sea provided by the Maritime Partners seafarers to give feedback and report The Office can address incompetency by
in Safety program, we have all the tools concerns wherever they can brain- providing officers and crew with training.
and examples we need to understand the storm and implement feasible solu- The Office should train officers on leader-
importance of maintaining high safety tions. Establish a strong investigation ship and crew competency matters. They,
standards. system to assure seafarers that their in turn, will train crew members to become
interests are protected. more efficient and resilient in their jobs and
Chief Engineer Aristeidis Mitrakos work environment. Safety always comes
M/T Minerva Georgia first. The utmost effort must be made to
use the appropriate safety checklists. It is
A critical aspect of pro- also essential to have a toolbox meeting
moting a strong safety before starting any job to discuss how the
culture is not to punish crew will do it correctly and safely.
anyone who reports a vio-
lation. Beyond that, it is Chief Engineer Andreas Loukas
also vital to search for the root cause of M/T Minerva Clara
such safety violations instead of blaming
the easiest target. If you do not search for Senior Officers play a criti-
the primary reason that led to a danger- cal role in the company’s
ous situation, you are likely to repeat the safety culture. The ship’s
same mistake in the future. Captain and C/E are the
links between the crew
Chief Engineer Andreas E. Vasilakakis and senior management ashore because
M/T Amphitrite almost all information & communication
on safety matters pass through these two
Marine safety culture is people before reaching the crew. If a C/E
one of the most important has no vision or desire to build a safety
aspects of shipping. A culture, he will attenuate the safety mes-
chief engineer plays a sig- sage instead of amplifying and perpetuat-
nificant role in cultivating ing it. A C/E should act as a catalyst to in-
a safety culture among the crew. Overall, Chief Engineer David Rayray spire and motivate the employees under
the most necessary safety culture quali- M/V Parapola his charge and serve as their ‘Safety
ties include: Coach’. A successful Safety Coach is aware
As senior officers, we have of the lessons learned from past accidents
• Effective training: Clearly, safe oper- the power to influence the and close calls and holds safety as a value
ations require that all operational behavior of our fellow - not just a priority - and a benefit stem-
personnel be competent, understand, seafarers by explaining ming from an atmosphere that encourages
and are skilled in safety procedures. why a strong safety cul- a questioning attitude towards work pro-
They should also be aware of potential ture onboard is critical and how it benefits cesses. A ship’s safety culture does not
hazards and how to avoid them. Initial them personally. We should emphasize drop onto a ship’s deck plates from the sky
and ongoing training ensures this. that there are many reasons why safety is or like magic onto a company’s structure.
• Defining safety responsibilities: It vital, but the most important is that we Safety culture must always be at the top of
should be ensured that everyone have only one life to live. So, a strong safe- the entire organization’s mind (including
plays a part in upholding safety. All ty culture could make the difference be- the vessel’s crew) because it affects and, in
crew members need to be educated tween sustaining a major injury or losing return, is affected by all the operational
on the importance of reporting inju- one’s life and being safe and healthy. Even processes a vessel must cope with.

26 MINERVA IN FOCUS – ISSUE 19 / Q1 2022