Page 20: of Marine News Magazine (July 2016)

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REGULATORY COMPLIANCE

How Watertight is Your Company’s Integrity?

A watertight boat is a beautiful thing. It keeps you a? oat in heavy seas.

Can you say the same for your company’s integrity?

By Captain Katharine Sweeney

Vessels are built with speci? c hull and environmental protection policy which describes how openings. Hatches, or doors, and port- the objectives of the Code will be achieved. These objec- holes, or windows, come equipped tives are to ensure safety at sea, prevent human injury or with gaskets and dogs to keep water loss of life, and avoid damage to the environment, in par- out when these openings are secured. ticular to the marine environment and to property. The

Usually there are several dogs because ABS Guide for Marine Health, Safety, Quality, Environ- it would be unwise to rely on just one mental and Energy Management (2012) stipulates that Top mechanism to keep an opening closed. management must ensure “the policy is communicated,

On smaller vessels it is critical that these implemented, understood and maintained at all levels of

Sweeney hatches and portholes be secured, with the organization, both ship based and shore based.” dogs closed, when the vessel is underway because allowing The policy should be simple enough that each person water to enter the vessel would threaten its buoyancy. within your organization can spit it out quickly, or at least

It’s a very simple concept, yet how often do you see a paraphrase it, without too much prompting when asked by boat leave the dock with its “doors” open? It is convenient an internal or third party auditor. It can’t be emphasized of course, as someone will be going back through the enough that you must expect employees to perform tasks hatch after handling the lines. Now in these hotter months safely every time. That means keeping all the doors dogged hatches are often left open for ventilation as well. It may shut every time the vessel leaves the dock, as leaving the door seem like a minor issue to leave a hatch open, but disas- open even once would not be safe, and is therefore against trous consequences may ensue. However unlikely taking company policy. Knowing the policy, employees under- on water may seem to be, there won’t be time to shut the stand the overarching intention of the company, and what hatch, when it becomes evident it needs to be shut. is expected of them as they go about every aspect of their

How well do you train your employees in this simple act job on a daily basis. of housekeeping? Do their actions re? ect this training, there- Much like having a business plan that de? nes the speci? c by re? ecting the integrity of the company as a whole? Fail- business objectives and goals and provides general param- ing to close the doors when the vessel leaves the dock is an eters to guide the organization, a company’s safety and en- indication of employees’ actions on a day-to-day basis. Every vironmental policy should force judgement and discipline day we all make choices about how to do things. It may be into a business. A good safety and environmental policy the simple way, the easy way, the quick way. But is it always should be fully integrated into the company and be a living the right way, and is it in line with our company’s policies? document, one that is reviewed and updated regularly.

We may justify actions that are not in line with safety Integrity is de? ned as “the quality of being honest and rules by telling ourselves that the likelihood of anything having strong moral principles; moral uprightness,” and “the bad happening is negligible, but it doesn’t mean it is okay state of being whole and undivided.” Making sure your com- to do it that way, even just one time. We all face the same pany’s policy is well understood by all will ensure your com- types of decisions every day, whether it is using your cell pany remains underway, and as importantly, making way. phone while driving, not wearing a seat belt, or anything else that appears to save time, energy and hassle. Ensur-

Captain Katharine Sweeney is CEO ing each employee makes these types of decisions correctly, of Compliance Maritime, provider of with integrity, has a lot to do with clearly communicating independent internal auditing of security, your company’s morals and values in a strong company safety, quality and environmental safety and environmental protection policy.

management systems for vessel operators. Captain Sweeney is an experienced Master Mariner, safety expert and

ORE THAN EGULATIONS GOOD PRACTICE

M R : federally licensed pilot with over 25 years in the Maritime

The International Safety Management (ISM) Code (and

Industry. Contact her at [email protected]

Subchapter M) requires each company to establish a safety

July 2016

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