Introduction to Safety Culture

Safety culture is extremely important onboard ships since this ensures smooth operations whilst promoting the maximum safety of the crew, ship, and the environment. It can be simply defined as the environment onboard ships where the ship’s crew perform every single task with the required precautions and safety measures even in cases where shortcuts would result in a quicker and more convenient option to complete a job. In situations where a shortcut is possible when a ship’s crew chooses to maintain safety over convenience, it is deemed to be a good safety culture.  

Safety Culture Onboard

Everything that has to do with ships, requires a Safety Culture. This culture introduces crew members to a way of carrying out jobs onboard with maximum safety. When a safety culture is not present onboard, accidents would not be prevented and would have to be dealt with, and that is not acceptable.  

This is called a culture simply because it is a shared idea about safety throughout the entire company and its fleet and it is constantly developing. Safety Culture is considered to be the most effective especially when all crew members onboard are aware of the hazards in their surroundings and do everything possible in their power to protect themselves and others, therefore ensuring that no one gets hurt. The four main factors ensuring an effective safety culture include:

• Commitment to safety from top management.
• Realistic procedures are put in place.
• Continuous learning and training.
• A shared concern for safety across the entire company both ashore and onboard.

The commitment of top management is by far, the most important factor of all since they will lay a path and be of example to everyone else. When management demonstrates their seriousness in creating and maintaining a safety culture within the company the workers will follow in their example. 

Safety Culture onboard was introduced by the ISM Code (International Safety Management Code) using the Safety Management System (SMS) required to be carried onboard ships. The SMS is a system implemented by the specific shipping company onboard ships within its fleet to enhance the safety of life, the ship, and the marine environment. This system details all the company policies, practices, and procedures that should be followed during various operations carried out onboard ships. 

When a successful safety culture is established onboard, seafarers will always prioritize the safety of life, the ship, and the environment in every action they take. Procedures provided by the company’s Safety Management System (SMS) will not just be followed to ensure proper procedure is carried out, but will also be followed because the crew do believe and see the reason and importance behind such procedures.