Every year, Odfjell marks the ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’ (previously ‘Global Safety Day’) with events onboard our ships, at our terminals and in the offices. This year is different; we do not have a company event due to COVID-19 – yet the World Day may be more important than ever.
Following the outbreak of the Covid 19 virus, the International Labor Organization (ILO) changed the theme of World Day 2020 towards the pandemic and the importance of addressing safety and health at work in the short and long term: “Stop the pandemic: Safety and health at work can save lives”.
As I mentioned in the Q&A session last week, our concern is not limited to the current pandemic, but also how it will influence the global social and economic situation in the coming years. It will inevitably affect us as a company and as individuals, but it is currently difficult to predict exactly how it will impact us.
Keeping our global team safe and healthy is, and must continue to be, our top priority. There is nothing new in this, safety was our number one guiding principle long before the pandemic hit. In Odfjell, we do not compromise on safety, and we commit to doing our part to stay safe and stop the pandemic.
In responding to COVID-19, our focus areas are:
As Odfjell is a global company, COVID-19 was put on the agenda shortly after the outbreak in Asia. Our terminals and offices in the region quickly took effective preventive actions. Odfjell ships calling Asian ports implemented strict routines based on guidance from port states, health authorities and shipping organizations. By this, we gained valuable experience that was shared throughout the company as the virus started to spread. We adopted measures at our terminals, vessels, and offices worldwide to reduce spreading and protect our employees and communities.
For our terminals and organization onshore, nearly all of us have worked from home for weeks under various types of local lockdowns, aiming to keep up business as usual while balancing the impact the pandemic has on our everyday lives. Some of the challenges are the same regardless of geographic location, while others vary. No matter where we live and how our situation at home is, it can at times be stressful as we adopt a new way of working.
Seafarers are in the front line, keeping the wheels of global trade turning in an uncertain situation, not knowing when you get to disembark. This adds pressure to the life onboard. Management ashore and onboard work around the clock to secure that we take the best care of our crew under the circumstances. Odfjell is also working with industry partners to find solutions for the global crew rotation challenges. It is of vital importance that we do not lose our attention to safety, especially these days when small issues can turn into major problems due to port restrictions and logistics challenges.
I continue to be deeply impressed by the Odfjell team onboard and ashore. Reports are still positive for how you handle this very demanding situation. We are proud of the efforts each and every one does every day, whether at home offices, at terminals or onboard. True world class!
But even world-class people can have bad days. If you experience such days, please do not hesitate to reach out to anyone in the Odfjell management team or your colleagues for support. The social distancing advice is physical only, not emotional.
To date, no one in Odfjell has been diagnosed with the virus, and the curve seems to be flattening in several areas. Our employees in Asia are back in office, some countries are easing up on some restrictions, and the number of people in healthcare is declining. But there is still a risk of a new wave of spreading. In Odfjell, we will continue keeping safety and health top of mind any day of the year, but the World Day is a good opportunity to raise extra awareness. Next year on this date, let’s hope we are all back on track for a global company event!
Take care and stay safe,
Kristian Mørch, CEO
In 2003, the International Labour Organization (ILO), initiated the ‘Global Safety Day’ to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work. This is now renamed ‘World Day for Safety and Health at Work’ and is marked worldwide on April 28.
The dedicated day is an integral part of ILO’s Global Strategy on Occupational Safety and Health. One of the main pillars of the Global Strategy is advocacy, and the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.
Odfjell always put safety and health first, hence the celebration of World Day has been a tradition in our company. Each year, a new health and safety theme is in focus. The World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2020 focuses on addressing the outbreak of infectious diseases at work, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim is to “stimulate national tripartite dialogue on safety and health at work”. Read more here.
