Unit 6: The Human Element: Cultivating a Culture of Safety
If seafarers are fully informed and aware of the risks to their health, safety and welfare, they are much more likely to ensure they avoid the risks and remain safe. This knowledge is attained through risk assessment and in other ways throughout our lives including training in theory and practical application, information, observation, instructions, supervision and personal experience. We can improve the quality and usefulness of the information available by effective knowledge management. Application of the knowledge in the workplace is influenced by our values, beliefs, attitudes and behaviors and by the views of others. This is facilitated by ensuring a safe working culture.
Extensive research has identified certain elements that contribute greatly to maintaining a safe working culture. These can be described as:
clearly defined expectations;
good communications;
clear leadership;
good planning;
risk awareness;
accountability;
good safety culture; and
effective knowledge management.
These elements should be both put in place at a Company level within the safety management system and implemented on board the vessel by the master and crew. It is important that the entire workforce, from the most junior crew members through to the senior managers ashore, are involved in the development of these elements for them to be fully successful. Many of them are already present within management systems but often some are missing, which can create weaknesses in the management system.
A good approach is to conduct a gap analysis to identify those elements that are missing or weak, and amend the systems accordingly. The more developed and comprehensive the systems are, the more effective they can be.
1. On accountability
Maintaining a safe living and working environment on a vessel is a shared responsibility of all on board and ashore. All personnel have a role to play and they can adversely affect others on board by their acts and/or omissions. For these reasons, it is important that:
there are well-defined rules and guidelines, which are clearly understood;
responsibilities are clearly defined for all on board and ashore;
consequences of unacceptable (safety) behavior are made clear; and
there is a fair, transparent and consistent response to unacceptable safety behavior, commonly referred to as a ‘just culture’.
On accountability, it is necessary to highlight the current separation of responsibility from authority.
The first two Points have been covered under ‘Clearly defined expectations’ and ‘Good communications’ above.