By Captain Dibyendu Das, Group Marine & Safety Manager
Creating a safe work environment onboard vessels and in office to prevent accidents, injuries, illness, and the consequential direct and indirect costs caused by them.
Human life is irreplaceable!
Safety is part of Sygnius Ship Management Pvt. Ltd core values, the company is fully committed to safety and has developed safeworking procedures as part of the Safety Management System(SMS). However, having a safety policy and comprehensive safety procedures or even state-of-the-art personal protective equipment (PPE) will never substitute the required safety mindset and behavior-based on safety approachby every individual where compliance is willful and consistent.Safety culture is more than a collection of procedures and regulations; it’s an organizational atmosphere that puts safetyand health at the heart of everything we do.
The success of the work activity largely depends on how well it was planned and executed as per the plan. Many times, risk assessments and permit to work documents are filled out merely for audit formality. The actual work activity is conducted in a manner which is more convenient and quicker. A proper work plan includes a detailed assessment of hazards at the worksite, establishing the likelihood of hazard occurrence and placing appropriate safeguards to prevent or mitigate the severity should there be an incident.
Sygnius Ship Management Pvt. Ltd implemented additional assessment of crew fitness to work, experience and qualifications to ensure appropriate supervision is in place at all times.
A safety meeting and toolbox talks held by the department
head or the Master at the worksite help to reinforce understanding of safety measures with all crew members involved in the task. To contribute to the safety discussion, it is important to ensure the inclusiveness of all crew regardless of rank or experience. Collaborative safety meetings help Overcome language barriers, issues related to uncomfortable or outdated PPE, and complacency due to weak links in the team. The intervention policy of Sygnius Ship Management Pvt. Ltd empowers every employeeto stop any unsafe act or abort the work if an unsafe condition develops during the process by issuing a STOPER card and report immediately. The life-saving rules further provide
A procedural framework for enhancing workplace safety, investigating undesired events and deriving key lessons learnt from such events for future prevention.
Sygnius Ship Management Pvt. Ltd has also implemented the ‘Virtual Seminars’ programand firmly believes in one of the principles of this program which is ‘visible leadership’, where our top management regularly engages with office and vessel employees to discuss safety programs, issues faced by employees and seek feedback to improve the safety culture.
‘Walking the talk’ helps to drive safetycompliance more effectively as the belief gets stronger when senior management leads from the front to inculcate a safety culture.
Employees need consistent reinforcement in Sygnius Ship Management Pvt. Ltd procedures and other regulatory standards. Periodic refresher training through CBT or crew seminars helps to raise awarenessand improve behavior-based safety, an essential ingredient forensuring continual safety compliance.