Special HSQE

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HSQE should be in your DNA

How Keppel Verolme and Jumbo put their vision on health, safety, quality and environment into practice
Reprinted from Maritime by Holland, No. 4, June 2011, www.maritimeholland.com. Publisher: Navingo BV, www.navingo.com

Health, safety, quality and environment (HSQE) form the basis for a way of working within the company. The government imposes several rules and regulations, yet many companies also take a step further. Jumbo and Keppel Verolme give a refreshing and encouraging insight into their way of maintaining and evolving HSQE policy.

Guidelines and policy

Keppel Verolme, part of the Keppel Offshore & Marine group, are a leading company in the design, construction, repair and maintenance, conversion and modification of seagoing vessels and offshore rigs. Their projects vary in length and as such the demands of HSQE can differ. Heavy lift company Jumbo have a very integrated approach to HSQE. They have decided no matter what the order or location, one line of HSQE must be upheld. As mentioned earlier the Dutch government has specified certain rules and regulations on which companies must aim their health, safety, quality and environmental policy. In this market however many companies differentiate themselves by applying more and stricter guidelines. In many cases this means having an edge over the competitor. Not only are the companies offering more on HSQE, customers are also making more demands. In some companies this works both ways. Antoine Theunnissen, interim HSEQ manager at Jumbo explains: "We want our employees to be safe and to be able to work safely, which sometimes means we have to demand certain

safety changes from our customers before we will commence working on a project."

Quality systems and health issues

There are diverse ranges of informing the customer about one's HSQE policy. Many world class benchmarks, such as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OSAS 18001 are very much standard within most companies. These quality systems are a way of implementing, safeguarding and improving a company's way of working on grounds of HSQE. Jumbo believe all staff must be a part of the ongoing process of HSQE. All new staff members at Jumbo must follow a safety training. Whether one works in the office or on one of the vessels employees need to have a clear view of what safety means. At Keppel Verolme, the management adopts the same principle in aligning their workforce. Each Keppel Verolme employee must undergo intensive safety training and instruction before he or she is permitted to start work. Keppel Verolme work with a pool of qualified subcontractors who are screened meticulously to ensure they meet the yards standards.

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Keppel Verolme also have many subcontractors. Michiel Zoethout, manager HSEQ at Keppel Verolme says: "We align our workforce by means. Work can only be carried out with a permit issued by our safety department. Our safety and quality systems are part of a management policy that thrives on the cooperation of all stakeholders." Maintaining a healthy work environment is just as important as keeping it incident-free. No matter where they work, all employees have a part to play in enhancing work place ergonomics. For instance, production staff have to abide by the relevant occupational HSQE requirements while corporate staff must keep their offices conducive and productive by reducing occupational hazards. Even staff working onboard vessels must ensure that they stay in optimal condition by getting enough sleep and avoiding intoxication. Both Keppel Verolme and Jumbo have set in place strict guidelines to maintain optimal and productive work places. Zoethout adds: "Our staff are well equipped to work safely and ergonomically. It is imperative that everyone in the company applies the guidelines."

Environment
Companies all over are giving greater priority to sustainable operations by striving to reduce their carbon footprint and the impact of their operations on the environment. Keppel Verolme take this very seriously and have invested in
Michiel Zoethout, manager HSEQ at Keppel Verolme

a disposal system to manage the scrap metal and other waste products in generates over the course of work. A dedicated location in the yard has also been set aside for the sorting and bundling of waste materials for recycling and disposal. Zoethout explains: "The yard runs a good system for waste disposal and this has helped reduce CO2 levels. We believe this is a worthwhile investment for the future of our business and the planet."

Safety should be in your DNA

Work must be done safely. This may seem an easy statement, but this issue requires a lot of attention. Working in the maritime industry does not come without risks, but it is important that the risks are minimized. Should an incident happen then it is necessary to be able to control the risks as much as possible. As Hans Goudswaard, HSEQ manager at Jumbo says: "There are no secrets regarding danger." Employees at Jumbo are handed a personal notebook which contains several 'Hazard / near miss notification' cards. Staff are encouraged to register each hazardous situation and near miss incident. The cards represent steps that can be taken to make sure these situations do not happen again, but it also encourages staff to look at their work differently and more safely. Goudswaard says: "Safety should be in your DNA, only then can we reach our goal of zero accidents." Keppel Verolme have a dedicated safety department. This department makes regular checks to make sure the work environment of their staff is safe. Zoethout comments: "Often, we have to educate our clients on why the safety department does these rigorous checks. We must make sure work is done to our standards." Jumbo vessels have a reporting system that can be used as safety alert. All safety issues can be implemented when come across and reported back so these issues can be registered and handled. Theunissen says: "We require those using the system to remain as honest as possible. Incorrect information does not better the HSEQ policy."

Training
Jumbo introduced their 'Stay Well' program five years ago following incidents that had happened. The program started small and has evolved into a mature learning tool. The 'Stay Well' program exists of various components. All employees must start with an introductory 'Stay Well' course which shows how Jumbo work. The next course is the so called 'Root Cause Analysis' course which was brought into the program to teach employees to analyse incidents and to become more aware of how to deal with situations. Theunissen explains: "The course informs how you investigate an incident and realise why the incident happened in the first place. This course will help employees to change the way they look at their work and reduce future incidents." Training is also an essential part of Keppel Verolme's HSQE policy. On top of certified safety training, the yard offers many specially designed in-house training courses to keep its staff abreast of best practices. Many courses are based on risk analyses and are meant to educate

staff on how to work safely. Zoethout says: "Risk assessment requires attention and the right skills. Thus the information and techniques imparted through the courses are very practical and can be readily applied to our staff."

Aligning all parties

An important part of implementing HSQE within a company keeping all the involved parties, such as employees and clients, updated and informed. Jumbo have a 'Stay Well' newsletter which informs staff on all HSQE related topics. The information ranges from practical information about the HSQE department to incidents that have occurred and how they were handled. Not only the employees receive the news letter, but customers and other companies do too. Goudswaard comments: "HSEQ does not hold any competition. Everybody should be able to work safely, so it is important that this information is shared with everyone." Keppel Verolme have implemented special 'toolbox meetings' that give employees

and departments the opportunity to voice concerns and issues within HSQE. This means each member of staff is kept abreast and is empowered to make changes to improve the way they work. Additionally, Keppel Verolme also solicits feedback from customers to help improve the way they work. Zoethout says: "We must keep our standards high, which is why we ask our customer to help us improve. Customer satisfaction is very important and we are pleased to score well in this area. More importantly, the successful integration of the HSEQ policies into our operations are due to the strong support from senior management who lead by example. It is clear that HSQE is a continual process. Goudswaard concludes: "You must protect your human capital as well as your company. The one cannot be without the other." HSQE is more than wearing a pair of glasses during work, it is an important tool which requires practical thinking, lengthy training and above all the company's complete commitment.