InterManager’s General Principles set ESG standards and a pathway to improvement

Capt. Kuba advocates for a ‘no blame culture’ encouraging seafarers to openly acknowledge mistakes and derive lessons from them. Dialogue between shore and sea is important for fostering a more inclusive and less aggressive working environment onboard. In this context, it is important to identify seafarers as key stakeholders, ensuring their voices are heard and valued, he highlights.

SAFETY4SEA: When it comes to ESG and sustainability, what are the key priorities on the InterManager agenda for the next five years?

Capt. Kuba Szymanski: InterManager has introduced a set of General Principles of Conduct and Action which aim to raise standards throughout the shipmanagement sector and beyond. Focussed on four key areas – Care and Respect for People, Continuous Development and Optimisation, Effective Safety Culture, and Assessment and Verification – these General Principles are very much in line with ESG goals. InterManager members have now begun a process of self-assessment against the standards set out in the General Principles in order to identify areas for improvement. Over coming years they will also undergo periodic, confidential audits by a third party. InterManager stresses that this is not a pass or fail situation but rather a journey towards improvement. Spreading the word about the General Principles and assisting members along this path, as well as encouraging the wider shipping industry to adopt these goals, is a key priority for InterManager.

S4S: Do you believe the maritime industry is moving in the right direction? What do you see as the top three (3) defining ESG/sustainability trends driving maritime toward the future?

Capt. K.Sz.: Yes, most definitely the maritime industry is moving in the right direction in terms of the environment, sustainability, and governance. However, from my point of view, the speed we are moving at is sometimes frustratingly slow.  From a shipmanagement perspective, people are the top priority. Ship managers are the largest employers of seafarers and we stress that without people there would be no ships or shipping. We are pleased to see significant progress happening in relation to diversity and gender equality and seafarer welfare, particularly mental health. It is important to treat our people with respect. Our President, Mark O’Neil, has highlighted that there is no reason to treat seafarers any differently to shore staff and is encouraging the industry to adopt practices which ensure a level playing field in this respect. Communication is especially important to ensure our seafarers feel connected both within our companies and with their families while at sea. With the predicted shortfalls in capable crew now beginning to appear within certain ranks and competencies it is vital that shipping evolves and improves where needed to ensure we are able to compete with other industries for young talent.

S4S: This year, the IMO WMD theme is dedicated to enhanced safety in the era of new technologies and alternative fuels. What needs to be considered in order to keep pace with the latest updates and maintain a balance between safety and innovation?

Capt. K.Sz.: Dialogue, dialogue, dialogue. Seafarers have to be recognised as an important stakeholder within the shipping industry and consulted when changes are being made, not just at ship-level but by industry stakeholders who are producing new regulations and innovations. New Technologies will only work if they are user-friendly and applicable within the environment they are to be used. As we embrace new technology and digitalisation we need to ensure our people are properly trained and well-equipped to apply these new solutions. And we must listen to their views when they feed back to us problems that they have encountered when utilising these systems. For example, seafarers have identified time pressure as a key factor of deaths in enclosed spaces.

S4S: In your view, how can we go the extra mile to witness actual improvements across a zero-accident maritime industry? What roles does leadership play towards achieving this?

Capt. K.Sz.: We have to strive towards a NO BLAME culture. We cannot be afraid to admit mistakes in order to learn lessons from them. The atmosphere and environment our people at sea are working in needs to become more inclusive and less aggressive. We will achieve far better results once we hear what our seafarers are trying to tell us. They are the best ‘consultants’ and the experts and it is time we heard them.

S4S: How could industry stakeholders best collaborate in support of sustainable development? How is InterManager fostering collaboration and knowledge towards?

Capt. K.Sz.: InterManager is actively involved in numerous initiatives across the maritime industry and regularly collaborates with fellow organisations and stakeholders to achieve sustainable improvements. We have Non Governmental Status at the International Maritime Organization and actively engage in numerous meetings and working groups. In particular, we identified a lack of statistical evidence in relation to key safety matters and we took it upon ourselves many years ago to collate these necessary statistics and to share them with our industry peers. Our statistics have become an important tool, particularly in relation to deaths in enclosed spaces and lifeboat safety.

S4S: With the energy transition and changing technologies in shipping, where do industry stakeholders need to focus to support seafarers?

Capt. K.Sz.: It is important to allow proper time for quality training and to embrace innovative ways of transferring knowledge, such as gamification and virtual reality. Younger generations are far more accustomed to digitised solutions but seafarers of all ages are demonstrating a desire for bespoke learning processes which are engaging as well as informative and enable them to test their knowledge in realistic ways.

S4S: Are you satisfied with the progress made towards DEI so far? What actions are important in support of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within the maritime industry?

Capt. K.Sz.: Yes I am, however there is always room for improvement. I believe that we are moving in the right direction in terms of Diversity and Equity. For example shipping has always had same salary levels for different genders doing the same roles. When it comes to Inclusion, I still see a huge disparity in relation to the working conditions of shore staff and sea employees. As our President Mark O’Neil has highlighted, we must treat all our staff equally well regardless of where they are located and what roles they perform.

S4S: What needs to be done in order for existing and future crews to perceive life and work at sea as a positive experience?

Capt. K.Sz.: I would like to see less interference and more recognition of the competency and skill of qualified seafarers. We should also allow their voices to be heard and be respected. It’s important to create a real cooperation between ship and shore where they are able to productively collaborate and respect one another. Today many crew have no idea of where they fit in to their organisation and what their contribution is towards the company success.

S4S: How can we create the right culture and mindset for an ESG-fit maritime industry?

Capt. K.Sz.: We need to treat seafarers as human beings and listen to the voices of people who work at sea. Stop the blame culture and instead support and assist initiatives by seafarers which can improve safety and streamline processes.

S4S: If you could change one thing in the industry to boost ESG awareness in the shipping industry from your perspective, what would it be and why?

Capt. K.Sz.: STOP BLAMING SEAFARERS – this is such a strong inhibitor of many, many aspects of life and work at sea and deters new recruitments.

S4S: Do you have any new projects/ plans with regards to ESG / sustainability that you would like to share with industry stakeholders?

Capt. K.Sz.:  Our new General Principles of Conduct and Action are an excellent example of how to walk the talk.

The views presented are only those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.