Hamburg: DNV is launching a new service which will help shipowners to reduce the high level of accidents on board ships caused directly by human error. By analysing and changing the safety culture throughout the organisation, there is a huge potential for cost savings and to build reputation as a competitive advantage.
Every year, shipowners face significant costs and a damaged reputation due to accidents that are mainly caused by human error on board ship. Studies show that 80-90% of accidents are caused directly by human error and that 60% of these are related to poor situational awareness. As a consequence, DNV has developed a risk-based service that takes a comprehensive approach to reducing accidents on board ships.
“The DNV SafeX service analyses the safety culture and attitudes, defines the overall safety performance and implements necessary changes that ensure safety excellence on board. The main goal is to change the entire corporate safety culture and maintain this change in the long-term. Consequently, this is not an all-out effort - it is an ongoing and proactive approach to safety issues,” explains Jan Erik Granholdt, the head of DNV Environmental and Technical Solutions.
Several shipowners have already implemented this new risk-based safety approach. “Through these pilot projects, DNV has experienced that changing the culture and the way personnel behave in relation to safety issues has already produced significant improvements and savings. Safer operations will not least result in a lower risk for the brand and serve as a competitive advantage,” he concludes.
A complex safety reality
Granholdt explains that there are several complex reasons for this unacceptably low level of safety: “Shipping is a competitive market, but quality ship management itself is not considered, in practice, to be a competitive resource. This means that safety has traditionally not been taken into account as a differencing factor in the market. Further, cost cutting, out-sourcing, reorganisation work, different nationalities and extensive new impositions have often been initiated without sufficient support from the management or feedback on the effects upon shipboard operations. Many ships are also sailing with crews that consider safety to be nothing more than a hassle involving compliance and paperwork without any genuine commitment from the top-level management.
“On the other hand, safety has over the past few years received significantly more attention due to the increasing transparency of the market and a broad zero tolerance for accidents, environmental harm and cargo contamination. So by neglecting this reality, there is an extremely high risk that costs will increase and reputations will be damaged.”
To make an appointment for an interview with DNV experts, please call Per Wiggo Richardsen, information manager, who will be present at the SMM 2006. Phone: + 47 90 77 78 29.