Safety is a personal responsibility

Having the right attitude toward safety plays a crucial role in shaping a strong safety culture onboard. It ensures that individuals are mindful of their actions, avoid behaviors that may endanger themselves or others, and feel empowered to speak up when witnessing unsafe practices. 

At the heart of this is the understanding that safety is a personal responsibility. Every seafarer must recognize their role in upholding safety standards, not just for compliance but for the well-being of the entire crew.

We also recognize that each seafarer is unique, with different risk-taking behaviors shaped by experience, background, and mindset. This is why recruiting individuals with the right workplace safety profile is vital—it directly impacts the performance of the onboard team and, in turn, the vessel’s operational performance.

Drawing on over seven years of incident data, we’ve identified trends in safety behavior. One of the most significant indicators of safety performance is the seafarer’s tenure with the company. Officers with longer service tend to experience fewer incidents, highlighting the impact of our safety culture and continuous training over time. 

Newly recruited officers may bring the necessary qualifications and experience, but they may not yet be fully immersed in our safety values and expectations. This gap underscores the need for targeted support from vessel managers, HSEQ teams, and marine managers to help them build the right safety mindset early on. 

Crew composition also plays a key role. By analyzing safety performance across different vessel types and ages, our crewing strategy aims to deploy an optimal mix of long-serving officers and new recruits. This balance creates an environment where positive safety behaviors are shared, reinforced, and sustained. 

As ship managers, we are committed to cultivating a culture where safety is not only practiced but lived by every crew member. Retaining experienced seafarers who embody this culture ensures the continuity of safe operations and reinforces our collective responsibility to protect lives, assets, and the marine environment.