HSEQ efforts aim to strengthen the right behaviours

After a 2016 entirely without LTI, ESVAGT has recorded a few lost time incidents in 2017. “We must strengthen our safety culture and prioritise our focus on good behaviours,” says head of HSEQ, Charlotte Feldvoss.

A pulled back and twisted ankle have reset ESVAGT’s numbers of days without lost time incident to zero.

After completing the entire year without LTI in 2016, 2017 has already brought a number of incidents in which colleagues have been injured at work.

“When we have to deliver safety at sea for assets, people and the environment, we must deliver according to the standards that are quite rightly expected from ESVAGT”, emphasises head of HSEQ, Charlotte Feldvoss:

“But it is in the course of everyday situations that we are experiencing more incidents, for example falling on stairs or stumbling on the deck,” she says.

Common to these lost time incidents is that although they are unfortunate for the person involved, they thankfully fall within a category that allows them to come back to work.

What is also shared is that the lost time incidents are related to behaviours, and this will dictate the actions from the shipping company:

“A twisted ankle on a stair will not make us forbid people from using the staircase,” underlines Charlotte Feldvoss:

“But we will use the incident as a constant reminder that unwanted behaviours put people at risk. It is not the staircase that is the problem – it is how you behave when on the stairs, and that is something that we need to do something about. We need to be clear in our HSE behaviour in the leadership group and show that safe behaviour is a top priority,” says Charlotte Feldvoss.

More lost time incidents – but less serious ones

ESVAGT sees education and training as important in building the safety culture that underpins desired behaviours. Despite the increase in incidents in 2017 compared to 2016, the safety culture within the shipping company is moving in the right direction:

“More incidents are reported, which is a reflection of the increased focus and understanding of how we drive our safety culture forward through learning and sharing experiences,” says Charlotte Feldvoss:

“We can see that it is working. We are pushing the graph in the right direction; we see more near misses and fewer medical treatment and restricted work cases. We register fewer high potential incidents and the injuries we see are less serious,” says Charlotte Feldvoss.