34 FOGHORN person ashore, or DPA, provides an essential connection between those working aboard the vessel and senior com- pany management, helping to ensure that crews have access to the support and resources they need. This relationship between ship and shore reflects one of the most important principles contained in the ISM philosophy: good safety management requires commitment from the top. “The cornerstone of good safety management is commitment from the top. In matters of safety and pollution prevention it is the commitment, compe- tence, attitudes, and motivation of individuals at all levels that determines the end result.”3 The quote above may seem repetitive over the last several years, however, successful implantation and proven ad- vances in safety attitude is evident when you look at the number of PVA members that have put this SMS to good use. Policies alone do not create a safe company. The com- mitment, competence, attitude, and motivation of people throughout the organization determine whether those pol- icies have any practical value. The familiar core elements of an ISM-based system rein- force that point. A company must establish its safety and environmental protection policy and clearly define respon- sibilities and authority. The role of the DPA must provide a meaningful link between shipboard personnel and com- pany leadership. The master’s responsibility and authority must be understood. “The company should ensure that the safety manage- ment system operating on board the ship contains a clear statement emphasizing the master’s authority. The company should establish in the safety manage- ment system that the master has the overriding au- thority and the responsibility to make decisions with respect to safety and pollution prevention and to re- quest the company’s assistance as may be necessary.”4 Crew members must also have appropriate resources and preparation. Shipboard operations must be supported by procedures and plans. Emergency preparedness must be established before an emergency happens. Accidents, haz- ardous occurrences, and failures to follow established re- quirements must be reported and analyzed. The vessel and its equipment must be maintained. Documentation must be controlled, and the company must periodically verify, review, and evaluate whether its system is actually working. When those elements function together, safety becomes a process rather than a slogan. Risk assessment is at the heart of that process. A functioning SMS examines work performed aboard the vessel, identifies hazards associated with that work, and determines how those hazards can be controlled before an accident occurs. That sounds simple, but it represents an important change in thinking. As an alternative to waiting for someone to get hurt before asking what went wrong, risk assessment asks what could go wrong before the work begins. Instead of waiting for an equipment failure before exam- ining maintenance practices, the system establishes inspec- tion and maintenance expectations in advance. Rather than improvising during an emergency, the compa- ny develops procedures, assigns responsibilities, trains the crew, and practices the response. An effective SMS should address both ordinary work and extraordinary events. The source material identifies opera- tions and scenarios including fueling, maintenance, fires, abandoning ship, groundings, adverse weather, and a per- son falling overboard. These examples demonstrate why safety management cannot be limited to an emergency response manual. Routine oper- ations deserve just as much attention because many serious incidents begin during activities that crews perform every day. Familiarity can create its own risk. When a task has been performed successfully hundreds of times, it becomes easy to assume that it will go correctly the next time. That is precisely where the “we have always done it this way” mentality becomes dangerous. Past success does not eliminate present or future hazards. A strong safety culture continually asks whether there is a better or safer way to perform the work. This is where reporting becomes particularly important. Near misses and hazardous conditions should not be dis- missed because they did not result in an injury, pollution FOGHORN FOCUS
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