Page 18: of Marine News Magazine (September 2014)

We in the passenger vessel industry strongly believe in safety. We want our operations to be safe to ensure the well- being of our crew and passengers and the protection of our assets. We work hard to establish appropriate safety poli- cies and programs and we train and drill crew to ensure that we are all aware of the need to be safe and to appropriately respond when an accident does occur. But as we do these things, do we go far enough? Have we taken the steps necessary to develop an actual culture of safety within our organizations? We in the passenger vessel industry have vigorously embraced safety for many decades. We believe in the value of safety and we work to establish a culture of safety throughout our organizations. After all, our customers demand safe experiences and they certainly deserve no less. The passenger vessel industry?s stellar safety record over many years is evidence of an appreciation for the value of adopting a culture of safety. Safety culture deserves more than just a wink and a nod. It is actually a set of organiza- tional principles which guides behavior and delivers results by reducing accidents. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, ?Safety cultures consist of shared beliefs, prac- tices, and attitudes that exist at an establishment. Culture is the atmosphere created by those beliefs, attitudes, etc., which shape our behavior.? Coast Guard safety statistics point to very few accidents aboard U.S.? agged passenger vessels. While no injury or fatality is acceptable, this record is particularly signi cant, especially when you consider that the U.S. passenger vessel industry safely carries more that 200 million passengers each year. How did the passenger vessel industry develop such a record? The answer is simple; a broad recognition across all passenger vessel industry segments of the impor- tance of safety, developing safety and training programs that work, and creating an atmosphere where all employ- ees work toward a common safety goal. But, in the world of safety management, one must never become complacent or satis ed with the status quo. Ac- cidents can occur, and it is imperative to keep moving for- ward with safety-related activities and programs that will deliver ever-improving results. Along these lines, and in an effort to go beyond regulatory compliance, reduce risk and seek continuous improvement, PVA has initiated develop- ment of a voluntary safety management system program called FLAGSHIP. This system is tailored especially for passenger vessel operators and is scalable for operations of all sizes. The goal is to achieve an enhanced level of safety and environmental compliance through a proactive culture of continuous process improvement. PVA?s FLAGSHIP is a coordinated, comprehensive set of processes facilitating optimal management of safety and environmental opera- tions and mitigating risk. PVA?s proactive efforts in creating Flagship have been recently acknowledged by the former Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Deborah Hersman. At a recent public Board meeting Chairman Hersman stated, ?We have very often seen industry leader- ship actually surpass the regulatory environment, and if there is an opportunity here for PVA to be able to do that, I think that is important.? NTSB is a proponent of safety management systems for all modes of transportation. The passenger vessel industry faces the unique challenge of harmonizing best safety management practices across a variety of types of marine operations. Also, as an industry with a substantial amount of seasonal hiring, the need for management to embrace the tenets of a safety culture be- comes even more sensible. PVA is working to ensure that the passenger vessel in- dustry continues its excellent safety record. Safety is about continuous improvement. It is also about establishing and nurturing a safety culture that underpins this improve- ment. And, it is a standard that we all must embrace if we are to signi cantly expand safety in the coming months and years. OP/EDCOLUMNSafety is all About CultureBy Captain Terri Bernstein Captain Terri Bernstein is the President of the Passenger Vessel Association for 2014 and Vice President of Operations of BB Riverboats, Inc. in Newport, KY. As a Coast Guard licensed mariner, she holds a 100 ton Captain?s license. 18 MNSeptember 2014MN Sept14 Layout 18-31.indd 18MN Sept14 Layout 18-31.indd 188/20/2014 11:43:10 AM8/20/2014 11:43:10 AM