Three ships were named top performers in near miss reporting for the third quarter of 2021. Bow Condor, Bow Fortune and Flumar Maceio were acknowledged for their contributions to the Odfjell safety culture by ensuring that near misses are recorded and addressed. Each vessel is awarded with 100 USD added to their welfare fund.
Captain Eduardo Henriquez commands the 2000-built chemical tanker. For the Bow Condor crew, the recognition shows that they are on the right track and that their work is aligned with the company's objectives.
“The near miss report shows the attitude a crew has towards the safety culture. It is therefore important to train and involve junior officers and crew to report incidents, as they are the ones most exposed to risks on board.
Not only must they be provided with the appropriate tools (company procedures); it must also be verified that they know how to use the tools at their disposal to recognize, avoid and address situations that put them at risk.”
Captain Eduardo Anto Henriquez
“It is good to know that our work, effort and dedication are recognized by the company. The near misses can provide valuable information therefore, reporting such incidents should be encouraged.
But reporting near misses is not merely counting the events, it is first and foremost detecting their root causes so we can correct and prevent future adverse events. Developing a large database of near near misses and near accidents is therefore a necessity.”
Second Officer Marcos Chacón Oliva
“When boarding a vessel, the first thing anyone reads is Safety First. Prioritizing safety is our most important responsibility. We can do this by identifying, reporting, and discussing risks and other situations, including reporting and analyzing incidents.”
Chief Engineer Oscar Arturo Manrique Llerena
For the Bow Fortune crew, the near miss report is also a tool for learning. While they did not expect to be among the best performers this quarter, they are truly appreciative of the recognition.
“I feel a tremendous sense of pride that Bow Fortune under my watch is bestowed this acknowledgment. We did not have the goal of winning this credit in mind when the reports were made – ours was the pure objective of having everyone to learn from our mishaps, and that they could avoid for them a similar occurrence.
While I am grateful for this recognition, I could not be more appreciative of my crew who diligently did their share in maintaining their safety awareness through active reporting.
I thank everyone behind this recognition and I hope for all of us to keep up the safety culture that is Odfjell’s!”
Captain Jan Inge Gjelsvik, Master
“Near misses are important to be reported so that everyone could learn from them. It is relatively paramount in keeping safety onboard. I must say that near miss reporting is a gauge that measures the efficiency of a work environment when it comes to safety. When we have near miss reports, we know that our safety parameters are working, because people are conscious enough to know which is safe and which is not.”
Jerry Perdiguez, Able Seaman
“In reporting near misses, we strengthen the foundation of the good safety culture that is already in place. We create a sense of consciousness among the crew to become more careful in their work dealings, lest they wanted to be anonymously famous after being reported. Let this not be taken out of context, but near miss reporting is strengthening safety awareness by having people to look for unsafe conditions and making people more careful.”
Jovito Banadera, Fitter
“Always report any work that you deem is unsafe however valid or invalid you think it is. There is no wrong in spotting an unsafe work practice or work condition and reporting it for everyone’s benefit. For who knows, one could be saved from a sudden accident out of education from a particular report. Encourage everyone to do their share by actively reporting any unsafe condition.”
Michael Andrew Garcia, Chief Cook
Flumar Maceio rose from the bottom to the top of the list. The crew attribute outcome to increased focus on monitoring daily activities and team work.
“The entire crew of Flumar Maceio is grateful for the recognition given for our commitment to the safety culture onboard. We work together in encouraging the analysis of activities performed by the crew, looking for near miss situations and reporting them. We understand that developing a safety culture and reporting near misses is a strength that requires the good communication and team work among the crewmembers. This display of unity is not only a strength for the team; it also ensures our safety and security.
Captain Roberto Javier Gordillo Velez, Master
“When we received the news of the recognition of our work in the safety area, we were extremely happy, as it shows that we are moving in the right direction towards building a safety culture.
Not long ago, we were challenged to reverse the panorama where we were, of being one of the ships in the fleet that reported the least near misses. And the most incredible thing was that we didn't do anything extraordinary to achieve these results, we just increased our focus on monitoring daily activities and digitizing the data in INFOR, always with simple, direct, but effective actions. Safety meetings, compliance with procedures, as well as risk analysis were widely used tools. Everyone’s understanding of the importance of disseminating near misses, that these data can prevent real accidents, was also fundamental.”
Third Officer
“Here at Flumar Maceio, we are proud of the recognition that is achieved throught the efforts of each crewmember, because through meetings, pre-work talks and constant training, we are managing to raise awareness and practice a safety culture.”
Bosun
“This recognition motivates the entire crew to continue carrying out our work with good safe working practices, reducing the risk of performing complicated tasks, as well as tasks that can be simple and can make crewmembers disregard safety regulations. Risk assessment, safety meetings and brainstorming serve as basic tools to keep the safety philosophy on board.”
Second Engineer
