In the feature section of "Towards the World Leader in Safe Operation," we introduced our initiatives under our midterm management plan. Here, we explain the framework supporting safe operation at MOL and the ongoing, distinctive measures we are taking to enhance safe operation.
Safe Operation Management Structure
Since April 2007, MOL has been overhauling its vessel management organization. At present, safe operation is managed under the structure shown in the diagram below. The Operational Safety Committee is chaired by the president of MOL and reports directly to the Executive Committee. This committee discusses and determines basic policies and measures for ensuring safe operation of vessels through rigorous attention to every detail. The Safety Operations Headquarters, meanwhile, is responsible for implementing specific measures, with progress overseen by the Operational Safety Specialist Committee. The Ship Standard Specification Committee discusses MOL Safety Standards and owned ship maintenance standards from a fail-safe perspective.
Measures for Reinforcing Safe Operation and Their Implementation
Following four major marine accidents involving MOL-operated vessels in 2006, MOL established the Emergency Committee for Enhancement of Operational Safety in October that year. This committee looked closely at the causes and events that led up to the accidents, analyzing them from multiple angles. Based on this thorough investigation, the committee formulated measures for reinforcing safe operation as an action plan for eradicating these causes. The measures for reinforcing safe operation are broadly split into two groups: measures concerning seafarers, ship management and the safety culture, and measures concerning ship facilities. The committee has appointed divisions responsible for individual areas, created an action plan and established deadlines for the achievement of measures. The committee continues to make improvements by regularly confirming progress and revising measures as necessary. The slogan for the safe operation reinforcement measures is "Never Forget 2006." As outlined below, we are now in Phase 4 of this improvement program, and have already achieved more than half of our 200 or so targets.
Phase 1: January 2007 to September 2008
Phase 2: October 2008 to September 2009
Phase 3: October 2009 to September 2010
Phase 4: October 2010 to March 2012
Phase 4 sets forth the following slogans, which are also targets of the midterm management plan, "GEAR UP! MOL
." We are now working to achieve these targets.
- Aiming to Become the World Leader in Safe Operation
- Making Processes for Realizing Safe Operation Visible
- Breaking the Chain of Errors to Realize the Four Zeroes
Please click here for details of our measures to achieve each targets above.
Details of Measures to Reinforce Safe Operation
Safety Operation Supporting Center
In February 2007, the company established the Safety Operation Supporting Center (SOSC) in its head office. SOSC monitors ship positions and movements, and promptly conveys information on abnormal weather conditions, tsunamis, pirate threats and terrorist incidents to relevant parties on ships and on land, thereby supporting decision-making by ship captains to ensure safety. It is staffed 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by 7 seasoned MOL captains and other personnel who ensure that captains at Sea never feel alone. Since the establishment of SOSC, there has been a clear decline in the number of navigation-related incidents, including those involving adverse weather or emergency entry(*) of MOL-operated ships.
| 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navigation-related incidents, including those involving adverse weather or emergency entry(*) | 12 | 9 | 9 | 3 |
(*)Refers to a sudden departure from a charted course to avoid a typhoon or other adverse weather conditions. This does not include instances where a vessel plots a course so as to avoid a forecast typhoon or bad weather.
Drills Simulating Serious Marine Incidents
MOL conducts accident response drills twice a year that simulate a large-scale marine incident. The drill conducted in May 2011 simulated an MOL-operated bulker collision in the Seto Inland Sea. Around 60 people, including the president and the concerned executive officers, as well as people from related divisions and ship management companies, took part in this drill, which practiced required and improvised responses.
Safety Campaign
President Koichi Muto on a vessel visit during one of the safety campaigns. (Second from left)
In addition to ship visits as part of normal duties, the president, other executive officers and employees are encouraged to visit vessels twice a year as part of campaigns lasting one to two months in order to prevent marine incidents and workplace injuries. Seafarers and land-based personnel share views on specific measures based on recently occurring incidents, and visitors take home their proposals for measures to reinforce safe operation for further consideration. These proposals are either reflected in the next phase of the safety improvement program or immediately applied to operating vessels to further strengthen safe operation.
Securing and Training Employees
Spirit of MOL
SPIRIT OF MOL training ship
MOL launched the training ship Spirit of MOL in July 2007 to further strengthen basic on-board training for cadets. Cadets first receive intensive safety education and basic training on the ship over a period of around three months. They learn specialist navigation and marine engineering skills and how to conduct themselves as a crew member. Moreover, young people of various nationalities share the experience of training on the same ship, which provides them with an understanding of other cultures and instills pride and a sense of solidarity as MOL seafarers.
BRM Drills
In order to maintain safe operation and high-quality transport services, it is necessary to continually provide seafarers with technical guidance and safety education based on MOL quality standards. A variety of drills are conducted to this end at training locations, including bridge resource management (BRM) drills, which are unique to MOL and involve recreating past incidents on a bridge simulator and practicing how to respond. Drill programs are revised as needed and used to strengthen safe operation.
Safety Conference
Safety Conference(India)
The company holds Safety Conferences once a year in countries with many seafarers that crew MOL-operated vessels (The Philippines, India, Croatia, etc.). MOL's president, other executive officers and relevant divisional personnel attend these conferences at which participants engage in lively exchanges of opinion about measures to ensure safe operation.
Preventing Work-related Accidents
MOL is implementing measures to achieve concrete numerical targets in order to reduce work-related accidents as much as possible. Even so, as a company operating more than 900 vessels, completely eliminating accidents is a major challenge. If trivial incidents are included, accidents cannot be entirely eliminated. Therefore, MOL analyzes the factors and causes behind incidents involving vessels operated by the company as well as other companies, and uses the results as the basis for developing highly effective countermeasures to prevent incidents from recurring or even happening in the first place.
