When two sailors died in one year, the directors of the shipping company called to all the captains
The process that followed has brought them almost to the top of the prestigious list.
by Lars Kvamme / Bergens Tidende
Published 10.12.2018 09:57 / Updated 10.12.2018 14:00
In February 2015 a member of the crew on the offshore vessel “Skandi Skansen” died from the DOF shipping company at the dock in Stavanger .
Just five months later, the anchor handling vessel “Skandi Pacific” was hit by storms at work off the coast of Australia. In the process of securing cargo on board, another DOF sailor died.
At home at the offices of the DOF in Austevoll and Bergen, the accidents speeded up efforts to ensure that something similar would happen again.
Called all the captains
"It was a traumatic experience. The accidents had their own reasons, but we would go through everything. Not just what was about the causes of the individual accidents, says Stig Clementsen, Director of DOF, responsible for sustainability and safety, to Bergens Tidende .
After the accidents, Clementsen settled down with the head of the company, Mons Aase, and called every captain of the company.
- We asked: What can we help with? We had to find out if we made any structural mistakes, he explains.
Only from oil service on the list
Together with Marianne Møgster, they have just followed us on the bridge to “Skandi Vega” located at Skoltegrunnskaien in Bergen. Economically, there are still tough times for the offshore company.
The Møgster family has had to see the stock price of the company they control fall more than 20 percent last year.
FactsExtend
However, despite a demanding market, Marianne Møgster is very pleased that the company in October was named one of the stock exchanges most successful in reporting on sustainability .
"We are the smallest company in the top ten, and the only one from the oil service sector. We are incredibly proud, "she says.
STOLT: Marianne Møgster is the daughter of founder Helge Møgster, and is currently active in the operation of the company. Photo: Rune Sævig
- More important for banks and investors
Although the fatalities helped to intensify work, Stig Clementsen points out that this is about much more than traditional safety work and impact on the external environment (see facts). The work was already under way when the accidents occurred.
"We see that this with sustainability is becoming more and more important also for banks and investors. We are constantly experiencing demand for documentation of the work we do in this area. Also in tender requests, he says.
No fatalities since 2015
Clementsen emphasizes that many in the industry have strict rules for behavior and routines aboard the ships, but that new rules may not always be the solution.
"We see that when we have a stronger security culture among employees, we can remove one-sided emphasis on rules. We usually say that the basic rule is that everyone should ask five things: Is this safe? Is this legal? Does it reflect our values? Do I put a good example? And is this something I can talk about around the dinner table at home?
He believes some of the success they have experienced in recent years is due to the fact that all employees receive the same training, whether they are permanent employees, part-time employees or hired consultants.
"And then we work in a global market, and with us it goes without saying that employees can organize themselves in trade unions. It’s not a matter of course for everyone else in our industry, he says.
Since the deaths in 2015, the number of serious incidents has fallen and there have been no new fatal accidents.
"It has become much more important
Lars Jacob Tynes Pedersen is the head of Center for Ethics and Economics at NHH. He points out that there has been a lot of sustainability reporting in business in recent years.
"Ten years ago, the companies would like a website with nice pictures, but today, this type of reporting has become much more important. This is absolutely business-relevant. For both banks and investors, this is about a risk that they will see that the companies handle, he says.
He points out that someone is better at this than others, and after taking a quick look at DOF’s report, he thinks it looks thorough.
- This appears to be done according to all the rules of the art. They comply with global standards and it is important. What also characterizes the most successful is that there is a red thread from the reports to how they build strategies in the company. My impression is that DOF does this, he says.