The winners of 2021 SAFETY4SEA Awards announced

The winners of the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Virtual Awards are:

Maran Dry Management Inc. (MDM) received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Dry Bulk Operator Award for providing world-class ship management services that meet, or even exceed, safety as well as environmental and customer requirements, while conducting its operations in a manner which protects human health and embraces crew welfare. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: Blue Planet Shipping Ltd., Fleet Management Limited, Thenamaris Conbulk, Wallem Group.

Capt. Babis Kouvakas, Managing Director, Maran Dry Management Inc, said:

We cannot emphasize enough how important and vital for us as a group is to focus on our crew welfare, not in words but with actions, such as establishing a mental health campaign and support through surveys, availability of professional psychological support and world’s first wellbeing mobile application and provision of needed equipment.

Capt. Panagiotis Nikiteas, HSQE Manager/DPA/CSO, Maran Dry Management Inc, commented:

We are privileged to be recognized and voted by industry professionals for safe operations; safety is a state of mind. It is about making the time and effort to take care of ourselves s and those around us. This is an accomplishment of all our people who choose to intergrade, focus on attitude, provide reinforcement and work as a team.

By assessing the risks and establishing safeguards to ensure flawless and risk-free operations, MDM focuses on its clients, people onboard and ashore and the maritime industry in general. MDM incorporates the highest professional standards into its activities and complies with all mandatory regulations such as ISM/ISPS/MLC, maintaining certifications against ISO14K, ISO45K and ISO50K demonstrating commitment to conducting its activities in a sustainable and responsible manner. Lastly, MDM and its Holding Group have completed the 4th Renewal comprehensive due diligence process administered by TRACE.

Sun Enterprises Ltd. received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Tanker Operator Award for establishing a longstanding tradition of operating a safe, efficient, and environmentally friendly fleet. Its commitment to these principles has resulted in well-established and vital relationships with the world’s leading oil and dry cargo companies. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: Evergas Ship Management Pte Ltd., Maersk Tankers, MM Marine Inc., V. Group.

Mr. George J. Fragos, Managing Director, Sun Enterprises Ltd., said:

Shipping is predominately a people’s industry and whatever we have achieved in our long journey is due to the collective and continuous effort and commitment of our people. We strive to return this to them by providing a safe, secure and rewarding work environment in which they feel included and engaged and where they have opportunities to develop and prosper. It’s even more rewarding and inspiring to have received the Tanker Operator Award in a very challenging year with the COVID-19 pandemic and the tremendous additional pressure on our operations and our people.

Established in Piraeus since 1968 but dating back to 1878, the company is currently managing a modern fleet of 17 Tankers and 4 Bulk carriers with deadweight capacity of just under 2.0 million tons and looking for expanding opportunities. The company’s primary objective is the preservation of onboard Safety and the protection of Life and wellbeing of its seafarers; the company’s motto reflects this passion, “An uncompromising pursuit of Quality”.

ABS received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Sustainability Award for embracing a sustainability and decarbonization agenda. ABS has issued the second sustainability outlook featuring pathways to Sustainable Shipping, a detailed Sustainability Guidance for Tanker Vessel, Guide for Sustainability Notations, as well as a digital solution to help shipowners achieve their sustainability goals. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA), Nautilus International, Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI), YoungShip.

Mr. George Pleyrakis, Director of Global Sustainability, ABS said:

We started the journey to sustainability three years ago when we established the industry’s first sustainability center in Athens. Since then, ABS has inaugurated four sustainability centers in four locations around the world. Our people have diverse background and expertise including operations, ship design, alternative fuels, vessel efficiency and environmental compliance. ABS has recognized early that reaching the decarbonization targets 2050 will definitely be a challenge.

During 2020, ABS continued to help the industry in its path towards sustainability with the launch of several services, publishing its second sustainability outlook ‘Setting the Course to Low Carbon Shipping – Pathways to Sustainable Shipping’’, providing the latest trends and projections regarding decarbonization. ABS also published detailed Sustainability Guidance for Tanker Vessels titled ‘Sustainability Trends’ which encompasses regulations, such as EEDI, EEXI and CII, and solutions for enhanced efficiency. In late 2020, ABS gathered industry leaders in the Sustainability Summit event, focusing on key issues including fuel pathways for 2030 and 2050 and also published its Guide for Sustainability Notations, which helps marine and offshore operators meet the ESG requirements outlined in the UN SDGs.

The OCEAN Technologies Group received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Training Award for its Ocean Learning Platform which goes beyond traditional learning management systems by providing a seamless link between ship and shore-based activity within a full enterprise-level maritime learning, and assessment ecosystem. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: CEOSAN CONSULTING, CSMART Academy, Maritime Training Institute Karachi-Pakistan, V. Group.

Mr. Manish Singh, CEO, OCEAN Technologies Group, said:

By creating the Ocean Learning Platform, we wanted to revolutionize the learner experience by putting the seafarer first and investing in UX design to make the platform more intuitive and removing any barriers to learning.

The Ocean Learning Platform combines advanced features for in work assessment, competency management and career development, making it possible to plan, execute and monitor a wide range of learning and assessment activities in a single cloud-based system. The Platform features an unrivaled blended-learning library to cover every knowledge area required by today’s mariner with features that make it possible to share expertise and collaborate remotely via a virtual classroom and apply knowledge through gamified learning scenarios. As a collaborative hub, the Ocean Learning Platform brings workflows, data sources, and multiple 3rd party stakeholder resources into a single space, enabling the industry’s drive to digitization.

ShipIn received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Technology Award for equipping seafarers with advanced tools for safe and productive voyages such as remote guidance, visibility to low traffic areas, early hazard detection, fleet sharing of good practices, protection from stevedore damages, security against piracy and automotive logging. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: ABS, M2Intelligence, NAVTOR AS, Scoutbase.

Mr. Osher Perry, ShipIn’s Founder and CEO stated:

We are grateful and honored for the industry’s recognition of our team’s innovation and products’ leadership. We established ShipIn three years ago to bridge the inherent gap between ships at sea and teams ashore. From day one, our goal has been to equip seafarers with advanced digital tools to deliver safer and more productive voyages.

ShipIn provides advanced solutions that increase fleets’ productivity and deliver crew safety. Among many, the company offers a new way to manage your fleet, providing real time visibility and seamless collaboration between ship and shore, reducing unplanned costs, and improving asset utilization. ShipIn’s on-vessel computer vision systems transform 10,000 hours of monthly footage into real-time intelligence. Seafarers, Fleet managers and Owners can see the same information and collaborate in real-time, turning camera footage into events and on-going analytics, getting better visibility, productivity, and safety.

Britannia P&I Club received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Initiative Award for its ‘BSafe’ proactive safety campaign, targeted at seafarers on board Britannia’s Members’ ships. The campaign is developed by the Club’s Loss Prevention team, with the support of the People Risks claims department, and provides publications, posters and reflective learning material aiming to enhance Safety Awareness. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), Project Connect, V. Group, Workplace Options.

Mr. Jacob Damgaard, Associate Director, Loss Prevention, Britannia P&I Club, said:

Being safe is not just about safety, it is also about wellbeing, health and feeling secure and this is why the BSafe campaign focused on these three main topics. We hope that Bsafe is helping our Members’ seafarers stay safe and healthy in these challenging times.

Mr. Andrew Cutler, CEO, Britannia P&I, commented:

BSafe is regularly updated and I encourage our Members’ seafarers to make use of the materials provided to help prevent accidents and keep crew morale high.

BSafe is an ongoing campaign, featuring new material and specific initiatives as the campaign develops, with the clear aim of supporting seafarers. The campaign covers three main key areas: onboard safety, seafarer health and onboard security, providing a variety of reflective-based content and case studies monthly, based on real accidents or claims, to share key lessons learned. BSafe also features posters that send out strong visual safety messages to highlight alarming areas onboard. Encouraging reflective learning is a key element of BSafe. As such, for each BSafe Incident Case Study, the platform includes presentation material and a reflective learning form which can be used as training material.

ISWAN received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA COVID-19 Resilience Award for assisting more than 44,000 Seafarers worldwide since COVID-19 through the free of cost 24/7 ‘Seafarer Help’ helpline while also providing financial assistance to several seafarers and their families, and support to those stranded/abandoned overseas. Other short-listed nominees for this category were: The Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry, IMEC (The International Maritime Employers’ Council), Magsaysay People Resources Corporation, Sailors’ Society.

ISWAN’s Chief Executive Officer, Mfr. Simon Grainge, said:

Seafarers and their families around the world have been among those most seriously impacted by the pandemic, and our team has worked tirelessly to make sure help and support are always available those who need it.

Launched in late 2020 and funded by ShipMoney through its program ShipMoney Cares, the ISWAN Hardship Fund provides one-time financial grants of up to US$500 to Filipino seafarers and their families with a financial need. ISWAN supports stranded/abandoned seafarers overseas and facilitates repatriation of seafarers from various countries after lockdown. In fact, almost 2,000 seafarers stranded in Manila during lockdown were provided with food supplies, purchased using a grant from the ISWAN’s Seafarers Emergency Fund. What is more, the ISWAN India team has worked with numerous Indian missions in different countries to help seafarers stranded abroad return home. Since June 2021, ISWAN has been coordinating a vaccination drive in association with NH and Medica Group of Hospitals, for seafarers across India.

Mrs. Jillian Carson-Jackson, President, The Nautical Institute, received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Personality Award, sponsored by MacGregor, for empowering Women in Maritime and her significant efforts to support communications technologies, education & training as well as vessel tracking. As the newly elected President of The Nautical Institute, she has helped the Institute and wider maritime community meet the important challenges of diversity and inclusion, branch engagement and managing the impact of technology.

On behalf of the sponsor, Mrs. Athena Kanellatou, Managing Director and Director, Digital Solutions, Customer Co-creation, MacGregor Greece stated:

Mrs Jillian Carson-Jackson is a dynamic leader who keeps raising public awareness on role models within the maritime industry with expertise and enthusiasm. As the President of NI, she navigates the maritime community to new horizons riding the waves of diversity and inclusion, engagement and technological impact.

Mrs Jillian Carson-Jackson, President, The Nautical Institute, said:

I started out my career in this wonderful industry few years ago as a teenager of high school. From the very first, I realized the importance of empowering women in the maritime industry. I build on the path that has been laid before me, recognizing the many strong women who have been working in maritime for decades. We need diverse views and input to provide a strong and resilience future as we continue to see increased digitalization within the maritime industry.

Over the years, Mrs. Carson-Jackson has participated in, presented at, and chaired many different meetings around the world. She has also participated in activities around the IMO WMD– empowering women in maritime and has acted as a liaison officer from the CCG to the USCG Barque Eagle. She also has an exciting sailing career: in 1984, she joined her first ship, the Alexander Henry which was the first introduction to icebreaking. She then sailed on larger icebreakers as well as buoy tenders and search and rescue vessels. In 2010, she launched her book the ‘Simulation Instructor’s Handbook’ with the NI; the culmination of many years to teaching using different types of simulators.

Mr. Vassilios Demetriades, Shipping Deputy Minister to the President, Republic of Cyprus, received the 2021 SAFETY4SEA Leadership Award, sponsored by MacGregor, for taking charge of key actions for Cyprus to enable safe Crew Changes and gain momentum with Seafarer Vaccinations. A key highlight of his efforts was when ILO adopted a Resolution in last April, concerning COVID-19 vaccination for seafarers as proposed by the Cyprus Shipping Deputy Ministry (SDM).

On behalf of the sponsor, Mrs. Athena Kanellatou, Managing Director and Director, Digital Solutions, Customer Co-creation, MacGregor Greece stated:

Mr. Vassilios Demetriades is a seasoned maritime policy expert known for his extensive work withing the shipping industry and his contributions to the European Union, wealth of shipping knowledge, policy development experience and the ability to adapt to the multicultural environments.

Mr. Vassilios Demetriades, Shipping Deputy Minister to the President, Republic of Cyprus, said:

I speak for the entire Shipping Deputy Ministry when I say that if we can learn anything from the last 18 months, it is that collaboration, adaptability, united initiatives, and tangible actions make a real difference. As an industry, we must continue to adopt this approach as we navigate the ongoing challenges presented by decarbonization and digitalization.

Prior to his appointment as Shipping Deputy Minister to the President, Republic of Cyprus on July 10th, 2020, Mr. Demetriades has served as a Policy Officer in the Directorate General of Mobility and Transport of the European Commission. Moreover, he was previously involved in the formulation of the EU sustainable shipping initiatives. During 2021, he met the EU Commissioner for Transport on the Green Transformation of Shipping and represented Cyprus at the EU Informal Ministerial Meeting on Blue Growth and has further promoted maritime studies and seafaring professions to secondary school children through the Interactive Program “Sea your Horizon”.

EXPLORRE MORE ABOUT THE 2021 SAFETY4SEA AWARDS HERE