While the voting procedure for the 2018 SAFETY4SEA Awards is open, Walter Woodage, General Manager of Norbulk Shipping UK Ltd refers to the company’s safety initiatives for which Norbulk Shipping UK has been shortlisted in the ‘Dry Bulk Operator’ category alongside a number of other distinguished nominees. Mr. Woodage highlights that communication is vital for enhanced safety; this is why they engage all levels of staff and crew to these initiatives promoting an open and welcoming dialogue as well as safety / mindfulness training and presentation of best practices. Also, another important factor for safety onboard is personal and situational awareness, Mr Woodage adds, to ensure that crew will remain focused on their daily duties and return home safe and sound.
SAFETY4SEA: Your organization has been shortlisted for the 2018 SAFETY4SEA Awards in the ‘Dry Bulk Operator’ category alongside a number of other distinguished nominees. What is the background and the key drivers behind this nomination/shortlisting?
Walter Woodage: Over the years Norbulk have implemented numerous initiatives in order to raise our safety performance to an outstanding level. We are concerned with the health and safety of our crew and any external parties who could be affected by the business that we run. We also want to ensure the safety of our vessels, their cargoes and the infrastructure surrounding operation of our vessels. We also recognize impact that the shipping industry as a whole poses on the environment and we have developed procedures to continually minimize our negative footprint. All of these factors are essential for us to continue to provide the highest quality of service to our clients, therefore we continue to develop our management strategies to keep ahead of the game.
S4S: When it comes to tackling the safety challenges around the shipping sector, what are the key priorities on your agenda?
W.W: Our priority is the safety of our crew. It is vital that each and every member of our crew on board and ashore, as well as all of our dedicated and hardworking office staff, return home to their loved ones at the end of each working day. In order to achieve such a goal education and encouragement are pivotal which is why we put such a high level of focus on the safety initiatives, campaigns and training programs we run on board and ashore. Open communication within the organisation is of critical importance – we engage all levels of staff and crew who are affected by safety issues in an open and welcoming dialogue.
S4S: Which best practices would you recommend from your perspective to enhance safety performance onboard and ashore?
W.W.: One of the key elements for enhanced safety, in all walks of life, is communication. Open and regular communication among the ships staff, and between office staff and the fleet, will lead to less chance of misunderstanding, lack of awareness or absent mindedness, all of which can very quickly lead to varying degrees of incidents. It is important for us to ensure that our crew have a self -developed, strong and focused safety culture which places them in a position to look out not only for their own personal safety but that of their crew, 3rd party visitors and the vessel which they call home for large parts of the year. This can only be achieved through safety / mindfulness training and presentation of best practices without the fleet.
S4S: Do you have any new projects on the pipeline and/or plans, related with your safety performance that you would like to share with the industry?
W.W.: -We are constantly developing our safety management systems with input from our experienced and highly qualified shore and seagoing staff, as well as from reputable third party industry experts, to ensure that all safety related aspects are well covered and that our procedures are understood by all of our team. Continuous enhancement and scope of the training provided to members of our shore and sea going teams in order to not only comply with developing regulations but also to advance the understanding and knowledge of the industry we are fortunate enough to operate in.
Norbulk are involved in the Partners in Safety program, uniting more than 500 companies in an effort to become a Zero incidents industry. Participation in the program involves safety related training programs which raise awareness regarding operational best practice for different jobs on board, past incidents and lessons learned, and the importance of resiliency and mindfulness during day to day routine and critical situations. This is driven by senior management with all levels of staff on safety related matters. The experience gained during implementation of the safety program is shared between the members of Partners in Safety in order to move towards the Zero incidents industry.
S4S: What is your key message for enhancing safety culture onboard?
W.W.: Personal and situational awareness is vital in order to remain focused on the safety of not only yourself but also your fellow colleagues and your family. We, as a Company, want each one of our crew to arrive home safe and sound to the arms of their loved ones.
You may cast your vote for Norbulk Shipping UK Ltd at 2018 SAFETY4SEA Awards dedicated webpage till 7th of September 2018!
The views presented hereabove are only those of the author and not necessarily those of SAFETY4SEA and are for information sharing and discussion purposes only.
Very good, good communication appropriate training common sense and continual improvement are essential for a safe working environment!