North P&I Club gives ships' officers something safe to talk about

The ‘A’ rated, 170 million GT North P&I Club has launched a new loss prevention initiative to help get ships’ masters and officers talking to each other about health and safety issues at sea.

Announced in the Club’s loss prevention newsletter Signals today (16 October 2012), the ‘Talking Points’ scheme involves producing a range of topical sheets specifically designed for handing out and discussing at on-board safety briefings.

North’s head of loss prevention Tony Baker says, ‘While drills, training videos, guides and posters all help to deliver safety messages on ships, getting people to actually talk and think proactively about risk is the most effective way to raise awareness. Regular health and safety discussions also facilitate sharing of ideas and concerns and help seafarers to bond.’

Elsewhere in today’s Signals the Club draws attention to the importance of maintaining social interaction between crew members in the increasingly isolated and automated working environment of modern ships. ‘Having a crew that is close-knit and of high morale helps ensure both mental and physical well-being on board, leading to a safer environment for everyone,’ says Baker. 

Talking Points are basically two page sheets designed to assist masters and safety officers when preparing for on board safety meetings by raising awareness of the common causes of accidents and incidents. The first page shows an image of a safety incident followed by a short series of questions, and can be distributed to those attending safety meetings or safety briefings. The second page contains suggestions and can be referred to by the meeting co-ordinator for guidance.

‘The idea is exactly what it says on the tin,’ says risk management executive Colin Gillespie. ‘The sheets provide scenarios and examples of issues that ships’ crews will come across on a regular basis which, from our experience, present a risk. We have then set them out in a simple format to prompt discussion.’

The first Talking Point sheet is on the subject of grinding wheel cutting disc failure and can be downloaded from the Club’s website at www.nepia.com. Members will be alerted via the Club’s E-News service to new sheets as soon as they become available. Further details of North’s full range of loss prevention initiatives can be found on the Club’s website.

For further information contact: Colin Gillespie or Tony Baker +44 191 232 5221