Appendix 1 – Management Commitment and Leadership
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee-Marine Environment Protection Committee Circulars - MSC-MEPC.2 Circulars - MSC-MEPC.2/Circular.3 – Guidelines on the Basic Elements of a Shipboard Occupational Health and Safety Programme – (5 June 2006) - Annex – Guidelines on the Basic Elements of a Shipboard Occupational Health and Safety Programme - Appendix 1 – Management Commitment and Leadership

Appendix 1 – Management Commitment and Leadership

  1 Occupational health and safety programmes are most effective when they are integrated into the management structure of a company, rather than treated as an “add on” programme. Examples of integrated occupational health and safety efforts include:

  • .1 developing standard operating procedures (SOPs), written to the education level of the person who must follow the SOP, that integrate safe work practices and basic operational functions;

  • .2 making design review by qualified occupational health and safety personnel an element of the acquisition procedures; and

  • .3 making consultation with qualified occupational health and safety personnel a part of the process when making changes to operations.

  2 Executive management sets the tone for the entire SOHSP through their policy regarding occupational health and safety. Examples of values that can be stated and commitments that can be made in company policy include:

  • .1 a statement that the company will make every effort to provide a safe and healthy workplace and that working safely is a condition of employment;

  • .2 statements that convey how important each crew member is to the vessel as a fellow worker and as a company resource:

    • “The basic safety policy of this company is that no task is so important that an employee must violate a safety rule or put himself or herself at risk of injury or illness in order to get it done.”;

  • .3 a written commitment to provide resources necessary to implement the occupational health and safety programme could also be included in the policy statement; and

  • .4 management can demonstrate commitment to the occupational health and safety policies through word and action. For example, managers visiting vessels should follow safety rules and standard operating procedures, including use of hearing protection, safety glasses, safety shoes, protective clothing, etc.

  3 Setting and attaining occupational health and safety objectives demonstrates a company's commitment to improvement of occupational health and safety performance. Objectives provide a target against which those who are responsible for occupational health and safety may measure their progress. Quantifiable objectives are desirable since often “What gets measured gets done.”(Refer to appendix 8, Systematic Programme Evaluation, for examples of performance measures and an overall programme audit). Occupational health and safety objectives may include:

  • .1 eliminate Lost Time Incidents;

  • .2 report “near miss” incidents or problems, evaluate, and if appropriate, implement changes to prevent a more serious incident or accident in the future;

  • .3 develop and implement a programme of evaluations through drills and other means (for example, simulators) to ensure that personnel are competent to carry out their duties;

  • .4 improve the occupational health and safety programme by reviewing, considering and implementing appropriate published industry practices and other recognized standards;

  • .5 complete periodic comprehensive (or area-specific) hazard review;

  • .6 reduce exposure levels to airborne vapours to acceptable levels through appropriate controls;

  • .7 complete annual respiratory fit-testing on schedule;

  • .8 develop and implement acute toxic exposure procedures addressing first aid procedures, obtaining additional emergency medical assistance, and appropriate medical surveillance tests (for example, S-Phenylmercapturic acid in urine following a potential benzene over-exposure); and

  • .9 develop and implement an occupational health medical surveillance planfootnote

  4 Company management holds the authority to dedicate necessary resources to achieve occupational health and safety objectives. Necessary resources may include:

  • .1 access to occupational health and safety information;

  • .2 training, including classroom and on-the-job training, that cover topics identified by the company's risk assessment process as well as those required by international or national standards. These topics would include but not be limited to existing chemical and mechanical hazards;

  • .3 qualified occupational health and safety professionals, either on the company staff or hired as consultants;

  • .4 capital investments in engineering controls; and

  • .5 personal protective equipment.

  5 Defining stewardship responsibilities and providing authority to carry out those responsibilities is an essential component of management commitment. For example:

  • .1 Company management should:

    • .1.1 designate a shore side person who has access to the executive management of the company and is responsible to ensure essential occupational health and safety issues are clearly communicated to executive management of the company, and decisions regarding those issues are clearly communicated back to the vessel;

    • .1.2 ensure adequate resources of time, funds for occupational health and safety equipment, training and expertise are available to effectively implement the programme throughout the company;

    • .1.3 ensure that a safety committee or other mechanism to adequately involve crewmembers in occupational health and safety issues is created on each vessel;

    • .1.4 ensure that the elements of the shipboard occupational health and safety programme are integrated and systematically implemented throughout the company and on each vessel;

    • .1.5 ensure that objectives are developed and performance measures are reported from each vessel;

    • .1.6 ensure that all appropriate programmes are developed and implemented including, but not limited to respiratory protection, hearing protection, confined space entry, and lock out-tag out;

    • .1.7 set a good example for employees by following established safety rules on vessels and by staying current on training commensurate with duties; and

    • .1.8 report unsafe practices or conditions observed while on a vessel to the supervisor of the area;

  • .2 Master/person-in-charge/operator should:

    • .2.1 ensure each crewmember receives an initial vessel orientation, covering company safety policy, emergency procedures, access and egress, fire fighting, job hazards, and information on hazardous materials before beginning work. Document the completion of this orientation;

    • .2.2 ensure each crewmember is competent to perform a task or job by requiring a pre-job explanation and/or walk through of all procedures including safe work practices before starting work on that project or equipment. Require pre-job refresher training if the employee cannot demonstrate this competence;

    • .2.3 ensure each crewmember has been issued and received training on the use of required personal protective equipment (PPE) before starting work on a project requiring PPE;

    • .2.4 complete periodic walk-around occupational health and safety checks of the vessel accompanied by appropriate personnel including those who have responsibilities or work in certain areas (e.g., Chief engineer and an oiler in engine spaces or First mate and able-bodied seaman on deck);

    • .2.5 periodically observe work performance of employees for compliance with safety rules contained or documented in the SOHSP;

    • .2.6 set a good example for subordinates by following established safety rules and attending training as appropriate;

    • .2.7 complete a preliminary investigation of all accidents and report findings to company management; and

    • .2.8 provide information to company management suggesting changes to company-wide standard operating procedures or equipment that will improve employee safety;

  • .3 Officers/other management personnel should act as the master's or person-in-charge's representative, and implement examples listed for the master in areas over which they exercise supervision (e.g. First Mate responsible for “deck” personnel and Chief Engineer responsible for “engineers”).

  6 Management should establish accountability for occupational health and safety as part of job performance reviews. Performance reporting regarding health is as important and should be as routine within the company as reports regarding timeliness of delivery, cargo loss or contamination, or citations regarding violations of regulations.

Parent topic: Annex – Guidelines on the Basic Elements of a Shipboard Occupational Health and Safety Programme
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