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Promoting Safety Culture in Shipping: Issues and Strategies

U.R.P. Sudhakar MSc, MBA

Marine Consultant 25-Apr-20

Promoting Safety Culture in Shipping: Issues and Strategies

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U.R.P. Sudhakar MSc, MBA

Marine Consultant

Presentation Overview

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Historical context

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ISM Code and safety culture

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A model for understanding the dynamics of safety culture

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Key issues

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Likely strategies

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Conclusion

25-Apr-20

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Historical Context

The term “safety culture” appeared first in a report on the 1986 Chernobyl Disaster  Adopted increasingly by industries characterised by:  High capital investment  High operating risks  High public visibility Examples:  Fragile public image  Cutting-edge technologies

Nuclear, space, offshore & shipping

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Top Management

Factors leading to an Accident: The

“Swiss Cheese” Model Latent Unsafe Conditions Line Management Latent Unsafe Conditions Latent Unsafe Conditions Pre Conditions Operational Activities Active Failures Safety Features Active Failures and Latent Unsafe Conditions

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[Based on: Reason, J. (1997)]

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ACCIDENT Accident & Injury

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The Accident Pyramid

Accident 1 Incidents 600 Near-misses 10,000 [Source: USCG]

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Tip of the Iceberg?

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Understanding Safety Culture: How do we go about it?

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Risk, Safety and Culture

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Risk = Probability of occurrence of an undesired event x Consequences

 Safety:  Measures and practices undertaken to prevent and minimise the risk of loss of life, injury and damage to property and environment  Culture:  Way of life; the customs, beliefs and attitudes that people in a particular group or organisation share  Safety Culture:   Is a subset of the organisational culture organisational culture is

people (Psychological), (Situational)

‘

the product of multiple interactions between jobs (Behavioural) and the organisation

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A Model for Understanding Safety Culture

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[Source: Bandura (1986), Cooper (2000)]

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Key Issues

 What is safety culture and how does it manifest?

 What are the factors that influence safety culture?

 How to measure or benchmark safety culture?

 How can we achieve “ global minimum standards of safety culture ” ?

 What has been the impact of the ISM Code?

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Shipboard Safety Culture

Shipboard safety manifests in terms of:  Ability to appreciate the risks associated with routine actions  Preparedness to deal with emergency situations  Clearly communicated safe practices and procedures  Reporting and reviewing mechanism  Perceptions about top management ’ s commitment to safety  Confidence in self and others to respond to emergencies 12 25-Apr-20

ISM Code & Safety Culture

The ISM Code – Established for the first time, an accountability link between ship and shore in all matters of safety management Recognises that no two shipping companies are alike Encourages adherence to safe practices as an inherent and felt need rather than complying with rules Insists upon reviews and continual assessment of operational risks Acknowledges the need for in-service and shore based 13 training in safety aspects 25-Apr-20

ISM Code: The experience so far

Some of the negative factors identified:  Too much paper work and voluminous manuals  Irrelevant procedures and bought-off-the-shelf systems  No feeling of involvement in the system  Ticking boxes (in checklists) without carrying out the tasks  Not enough people or time to undertake the extra work  Lack of support from the Company

[ Source: Dr. Phil Anderson

’

s doctoral thesis:

‘

Managing Safety at Sea

’

, Nov. 2002]

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ISM Code: The experience so far

Features common to Companies operating successful SMS:  Leadership and commitment from the very top  A sense of ownership & empowerment among personnel  Continuity of employment  Respectful, two-way communication between ship & shore

[ Source: Dr. Phil Anderson

’

s doctoral thesis:

‘

Managing Safety at Sea

’

, Nov. 2002]

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“Minimum Manning” or Strategic HRD?

ATTRIBUTE ‘ MINIMUM MANNING ’ STRATEGIC HRD

· ·

HRD Policy

Not defined In line with: - Future growth/diversification plans - Anticipated techno/regulatory changes · ·

Complement

Based on rules · ·

Selection basis

CoC & on-job needs Minimum safe manning plus: - Onboard trainees to meet future needs - Operational profile - Ships ’ age and maintenance work load CoC, on-job needs plus: - Educational level - Ability to absorb new technologies - Amenability to adopt a safety culture

Recruitment

16 At the lowest possible cost Reputed and vetted MET institutions ( “ white list ” ) 25-Apr-20

“Minimum Manning” or Strategic HRD?

ATTRIBUTE Pre-sea training ‘ MINIMUM MANNING ’

Negligible involvement

STRATEGIC HRD

Active involvement

In-service training

Negligible involvement Active involvement

Career path Org. culture Retention

17 Not well defined Driven by: - insecurity - mistrust and uncertainty Low 25-Apr-20 Clearly formulated & implemented Shaped by: - confidence - transparency - commitment to HRD - career growth & - team work High

A Road Map to Safety Culture?

Uninformed Culture Symptoms

• Gaps in knowledge, & skills needed for safe operations • Poor emergency preparedness • Lack of training • Absence of exercises

Evasion Culture Symptoms

• Perfunctory approach • Focus on paperwork • Appearances are most important • Inadequate training • Poor emergency response

Compliance Culture Symptoms

• Focus on compliance • Conversant with rules • Flawless records • Safe practices a routine • Extensive checklists • Inability to deal with unforeseen emergencies

Safety Culture Symptoms

• Safety awareness visible throughout • Collective approach • Proactive risk identification • High degrees of preparedness • Cohesive team

Culturally driven beliefs

• Fatalism • Safety measures

increase

accident risk • No matter what you do, accidents will still occur 18

Culturally driven beliefs

•‘Excessive’ safety is “bookish” •‘Smart’ operations

Behaviour pattern

• Discipline • Obedience to rules • Clear role definition • Pride in doing things involve cutting corners •The chief objective is not to get into trouble with authorities right • Group commitment • Clean record matters most 25-Apr-20

Behaviour pattern

• Clarity of objectives • Positive group dynamics • Professionalism • Sure of support • Confident in emergencies

Two Approaches

1. Top-down approach

Safety culture as a sub-set of organisational culture Observation: Safety culture is market driven

2. Bottom-up approach

19 Safety culture as learned behaviour Observation - MET institutions in developing countries (main suppliers of seafarers) are hampered by: financial constraints poor infrastructure non-availability of qualified faculty and research capabilities 25-Apr-20

Convergence Model

HEAD OFFICE

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HRD MANAGER INTERACTION BETWEEN SHIP, SHORE & MET REPORTING OF ACCIDENTS, INCIDENTS & NEAR-MISSES

ONBOARD DRILLS 25-Apr-20 SUPPORTING MET

Proposed Strategy

     Combine top-down and bottom-up approaches Shipowners and MET institutions to interact closely in matters of pre-sea and in-service training HRD policies and practices to come under the scrutiny of ISM audits Benchmark safety culture in terms of risk (probability x consequences) using exercises and simulations Link HRD practices and onboard safety with risk management 21 25-Apr-20

Linking Safety Culture with Risk Management Contextual data (Ship & Company specific) Initial appraisal of prevailing Safety Culture Persons (Seafarers onboard )

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Organisation (Shipping Company) Simulated Tasks & Emergencies (Group exercise) Quantitative Risk Assessment (In terms of Event Trees & Probabilities x Consequences) Qualitative Appraisal of Safety Culture (In terms of the three elements – Organisation, Persons and Job) Intervention strategies

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Job (Safety behaviour & group response)

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Summary & Conclusion

Bandura’s triangular model (Person, Organisation and Job) offers a dynamic perspective of safety culture.

 Top-down strategic HRD measures interfacing with a bottom-up approach in close association with MET institutions will help in fostering of safety culture.

 Since top-down approach is the primary intervention strategy, the HRD practices come under scrutiny.

 Integration of HRD practices and risk management tools can lead to effective promotion of safety culture in shipping.

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Safety Culture: A Top-down Mindset

“ If the management is clearly seen to be giving safety the highest priority then that mindset will quickly permeate into the chain of command, from the Board Chairman through the directors, the superintendents, to the ships’ officers and crews.

”

William O’Neil, Former Secretary General, IMO (Sep. 2002) 24 25-Apr-20

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Thank You

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