In the feature section of "Forging Ahead to Become the World Leader in Safe Operation", we introduced our initiatives under our midterm management plan, "GEAR UP! MOL". Here, we explain the framework and continuous and distinctive measures to enhance safe operation.
Safe Operation Management Structure
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 Safety Assurance Committee. The Ship Standard Specification Committee discusses and determines MOL Safety Standards and owned ship maintenance standards from a fail-safe* perspective.
(*)Equipment and systems are designed to operate safely at all times, even when trouble occurs due to operator error or malfunction.
Measures for Reinforcing Safe Operation and their Implementation
In order to utilize lessons learned from past accidents for safe operation, the company looks closely at the causes and events that led up to the accidents and implements action plans for eradicating these as a measure for reinforcing safe operation. 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 company appoints divisions responsible for individual areas, creates action plans and establishes deadlines for the achievement of measures. The company continues to make improvements by regularly confirming progress and periodically revising measures. The slogan for the safe operation reinforcement measures is "Never Forget 2006." We are now in Phase 4 of this improvement program.
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 2013
In Phase 4, we are concentrating on the following measures, with a focus on the "Human Factor."
- Improving communication to seafarers on ships and land-based employees.
- Preventing new incidents and reoccurrences of previous incidents.
- Ensuring our crew and staff understand and are convinced of the aim and background of regulations and procedures, listening to crew aboard vessels and reflecting their opinions in various measures.
- Implementing education to ensure that crew have the appropriate knowledge, technical skills and other skills for their positions.
- Ensuring safe operation of chartered vessels.
Making Processes for Realizing Safe Operation Visible
MOL is currently working to make its processes to achieve safe operation more visible so that customers can choose MOL's services with confidence. Specifically, we have introduced objective numerical indicators for measuring safety levels and have set numerical targets based on them. Efforts are currently underway to achieve the targets.
Four Zeroes (an unblemished record in terms of serious marine incidents, oil pollution, fatal accidents and cargo damage)- LTIF(*1) (Lost Time Injury Frequency): under 0.25
- Operational stoppage time(*2): 24 hours/ship or below
- Operational stoppage accident rate(*3) 1.0/ ship or below
(*1) Number of work-related accidents per one million hours worked that resulted in time lost from work of one day or more. Average for all industries (2011) was 1.62; for shipping industry, 0.66; for shipbuilding and repair, 1.06. (Source: 2011 Survey on Industrial Accidents issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)
(*2) Expresses the amount of ship operational stoppage time due to an accident per ship per year.
(*3) Expresses the number of accidents that result in ship operational stoppage per ship per year.
Our performance in these areas in fiscal 2011 was as follows.
Did not achieve: (One serious marine incident by a chartered vessel. Two fatal worker accidents by an MOL vessel and a chartered vessel)
2-4: Achieved as follows:
Breaking the Chain of Errors(*)
We continue to make improvements related to both seafarer training and ship facilities to break the chain of errors in which
minor factors combine and ultimately lead to major maritime accidents.
In terms of seafarer training, we are reinforcing our OJT Instructor System and enhancing land-based education and training curriculums and programs. Further, we are working to raise safety awareness among seafarers by collecting information on close calls (risky incidents that came very close to causing a more serious accident) from each ship in operation and distributing that information to ships along with easy-to-understand photos and illustrations. In terms of ship facilities, we are working to equip ships with errorresistant equipment. This involves promoting the fail-safe design concept by providing feedback to shipyards and equipment manufacturers on areas of non-conformance and areas in need of improvementfrom vessels in operation.
(*)Various factors lead to accidents like links in a chain.
Preventing Work-related Accidents
It is our perennial goal to completely eliminate work-related accidents on the approximately 950 vessels MOL operates. We are working step by step to achieve this goal. In addition to gathering information about accidents that occurred on MOL-operated vessels or at other companies and sharing this information with relevant parties, we study accidents in other industries and incorporate analysis techniques. We use this information as the basis for developing and implementing highly effective countermeasures. Furthermore, by strengthening seafarer education and training systems we are working to prevent incidents from recurring or even happening in the first place.
Development of IT for Ship Management
We will continue to promote greater use of information technology at ship management companies and on board ships and work to integrate ship management systems within the MOL Group. These efforts are geared to raising the efficiency of safe operation management processes between ships and ship management companies and to effectively sharing information on safe operation within the group.
Other Measures
We are implementing the following measures:
DVD "Forging Ahead to Become
The World Leader in Safe Operation"
- We created a training video based on investigations of the causes and distributed it to the relevant departments in order to ensure the experience gained from accidents never fades with time.
- We hold Safety Conferences to provide opportunities for seafarers to meet face to face and share views on measures for preventing the recurrence of accidents, and raising greater awareness.
- We have held operational workshops for office staff once a quarter since November 2010 to widely disseminate information within the company on measures for reinforcing safe operations, case studies of incidents and measures based on them.
- In June 2011, we produced a video entitled "Forging Ahead to Become The World Leader in Safe Operation" that introduces MOL measures to reinforce safe operation. The video is being distributed not only to company departments and MOL-operated ships but also to customers and other relevant outside parties in an effort to raise awareness within the company and promote greater visibility for safe operation measures.
