For towing company NH Towage, safety in everyday life is most of all about employees thinking ahead before embarking on a task, owner, and CEO Niels Henriksen says. Should something happen, the company makes a point of learning from the incident.
Industrial shipping is an industry not devout of risk, and therefore employees must have both their mindset and the correct equipment with them when moving around on the ships. This is the essence of the approach to safety for the Svendborg-based towing company NH Towage.
»The level of safety must be high, so it is important to point out to the people who work here that it can be a dangerous workplace and that they must wear safety equipment at all times when they are on board. Helmet, vest, safety shoes, gloves, glasses, boiler suit, workwear in general,« owner, and CEO Niels Henriksen says.
When an NH Towage employee first boards a vessel, they are handed the 'Know Your Ship' folder for a thorough read, allowing them to get an overview of the most important safety measures and instructions, as well as the use of equipment. This approach works fine, according to the CEO.
»I think we've got it under control because we have very few injuries. And if something happens, we follow up on it so that all ships get the information that Peter has pinched a finger in a hatch or a door or Mads has some back pain because he has lifted incorrectly, so they can be aware of it," Niels Henriksen explains.
In other words, an effort is made to learn from the incidents that occur from time to time, and then it is very much up to the individual skippers to instruct their crew members properly, and that the other employees in general take care of new colleagues.
Peer training is key
»I would use the term 'good seamanship', which means that you are present and mindful in what you are doing, keep an eye on the sea, wind and weather and sail according to the conditions. That will take you a long way, in our experience, without it being too constraining,« Niels Henriksen says.
»There's no point in having five forms you need to fill out before you can pick up a paint roller or start an angle grinder if you're not aware of what you're doing. So it's practical knowledge and consideration before paper,« he continues.
As an example, Niels Henriksen mentions how employees should rather spend their time familiarizing themselves with the task at hand and the tool to be used than on bureaucracy.
»It common sense above all. We use that a lot here, and it's also our culture that it's something people learn when they come to us. That you think before you start. And we have a number of young people who need to be guided more than the older people, who, conversely, are the ones who have to teach. It is learning by doing, or peer training, that is key,« the CEO notes.
Should an accident occur, a safety meeting will be called immediately after the, the meeting will be made to record, which will then be sent to the shipping company's head office, just as it is available on board.
»That's how we learn from things. People are told that this and that has happened on board, the reason was such and such, and therefore we must remember to do certain things in the future. Remembering the equipment must always be top-of-mind; even when things are moving fast, you still don't go out on deck without your safety shoes,« Niels Henriksen says.
