Offshore Vessel Management and Self Assessment (OVMSA) 10 Element 1 and 1A Leadership and the Safety Management System Main objective Provide direction and clearly define responsibilities and accountabilities at all levels within the company. Developing and maintaining an effective Safety Management System (SMS) requires commitment at the highest levels of the organisation and clear definitions of the roles and responsibilities for everyone involved in its administration. Roles and responsibilities The company ensures that management roles and individual responsibilities are clearly established, assigned, understood and documented. Communication The company establishes and maintains effective communication procedures between shore- based management and the fleet. This includes communication of the SMS to all areas of the company. HSSE excellence The company ensures that the importance of HSSE is understood at all levels of the organisation and is actively promoted through leadership and the disciplined use of a documented SMS. The Safety Management System The company establishes and maintains a documented SMS that can accomplish the stated fleet management policies and objectives. All managers are held accountable for achieving the targets and objectives set for them. Management activities that require procedures and instructions are systematically identified. Where instructions and procedures are required, they are suited to the purpose and easy to understand and follow. Where appropriate, these instructions are developed in consultation with those who will be affected by them or who have to apply them. Continuous improvement The company establishes KPIs to measure the effectiveness of the SMS in meeting the organisational goals and regulatory responsibilities. The company uses the KPIs to identify areas that need attention to ensure continuous improvement in the performance of their SMS. All follow-up plans include the clear assignment of responsibility for any improvement action. The company’s senior management reviews the effectiveness of the SMS at periodic management reviews to verify the adequacy of the system or to improve its effectiveness. The review system includes provision for recording and maintaining the results of each management review. Element one: Leadership and the Safety Management System 11 1 Management, leadership and accountability Aim: Through visible and effective leadership, management promotes HSSE excellence at all levels in the company. Key Performance IndicatorsBest Practice Guidance 1.11.1.1Management commitment is clearly defined in documentation that includes mission statements, policies and procedures. Mission statements contain the high-level and long-term goals and aspirations. The company defines what HSSE excellence means and aims to achieve this through continual improvement. Long-term goals and aspirations may include: • Zero spills or releases to the environment. • Zero incidents. • Reduction in permitted emissions. 1.1.2Senior management demonstrates a clear commitment to implementing the SMS. Senior managers demonstrate commitment by conducting management reviews. Management reviews may include: • Review of mission statements and high-level policies. • Review of targets and KPIs. • Review of incident and non-conformance data. • Assessment of the documented audit plan for vessels and office locations. Records demonstrating the extent of management involvement in these activities are maintained. 1.1.3HSSE excellence is fully understood and supported by vessel and shore-based management teams. Best practices are promoted throughout the company. Management records lessons learnt and communicates this information to the company. When required, management follows up on recommendations to ensure that all necessary changes have been made. Means of communication may include: • Webcasts. • Mission statement cards. • Vessel/office visits. • Safety bulletins. • Company newsletters. • Vessel feedback. Offshore Vessel Management and Self Assessment (OVMSA) 12 Key Performance IndicatorsBest Practice Guidance 1.21.2.1All company personnel can describe what HSSE excellence means in practice. Everyone within the organisation understands the company’s concept of safe operations and HSSE excellence as applicable to their role. Managers promote and measure personnel understanding through a variety of activities. Examples may include: • Safety induction and familiarisation programmes. • Vessel/office visits. • Computer-based training/onboard training. • Informal meetings/personnel interviews. • Office/vessel conference calls. • Company seminars. 1.2.2Management strives to improve safety and environmental performance at all levels. Management has a documented plan in place that contains specific actions to achieve long-term goals and aspirations. Management has a way of measuring and identifying trends in safety and environmental performance at all levels by maintaining statistical records of near misses, non-conformances and incidents. Examples of incidents may include: • Injuries to personnel. • Navigational incidents. • Mooring incidents. • Loss of containment. • Machinery failure. • Incidents related to cargo and ballast transfer. Management evaluates and assesses performance against the action plan. 1.2.3Vessel and shore-based management teams promote HSSE excellence. Strong, effective leadership is visibly demonstrated. Examples may include: • Leading by example. • Empowering personnel to intervene to prevent hazardous situations developing. • Safety inspections/rounds by senior officers. • Vessel visits by senior shore-based managers that include informal meetings with available vessel personnel. • Recognition and rewarding of outstanding HSSE performance. Element one: Leadership and the Safety Management System 13 Key Performance IndicatorsBest Practice Guidance 1.31.3.1Shore management establishes targets related to HSSE performance and conducts measurements to assess and verify their implementation. Typical assessment measures may include setting KPIs, for example: • Number and severity of personnel injuries. • Number of near miss and non-conformance reports. • Number and size of pollution incidents. • Number of internal and external audit findings. • Number and nature of inspection findings, e.g. Offshore Vessel Inspection Database (OVID) and Port State Control (PSC). • Number of best practices identified. 1.3.2The steps required to HSSE excellence at each level of the action plan are clearly defined by management. The action plan establishes a clear timeframe with short-term targets and objectives defined for each step of the plan, in order to achieve the long-term goals. The plan is reviewed at regular intervals and modified as trends are identified. 1.4 1.4.1HSSE targets and objectives are discussed, at least quarterly, at management meetings on board and ashore. The company sets performance targets within its plan and reviews them during management meetings. • Where progress does not meet expectations, management takes corrective action to realign performance with targets and objectives. • Where performance exceeds expectations, management may consider reassessing and revising targets and objectives. 1.4.2HSSE performance targets are continually monitored against KPIs. Performance is monitored against objectives using a computer-based system. Significant deviations are promptly reported to senior management. Performance data is readily accessible to all company personnel. 1.4.3All vessel and shore-based personnel demonstrate their commitment to HSSE excellence. Examples of commitment to excellence from personnel may include active participation in: • A company reward system that recognises HSSE performance. • A behaviour-based safety system. • The submission of ideas and suggestions to enhance HSSE standards. Managers and supervisors give clear directions and, by their behaviour, demonstrate commitment to HSSE excellence and follow up on submitted ideas and suggestions. 1.4.4A strategic plan ensures continual improvements in HSSE performance are achieved. The plan follows a strategic planning cycle that identifies: • Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. • Aims and objectives. • How to achieve these aims and objectives. • Progress against the plan. Offshore Vessel Management and Self Assessment (OVMSA) 14 1A Developing and maintaining a Safety Management System Aim: Management accepts responsibility for developing and maintaining a dynamic SMS (documented in hard copy or electronic format) to implement policy and deliver HSSE excellence. Key Performance IndicatorsBest Practice Guidance 1A.11A.1.1Management ensures that company policy and the supporting procedures and instructions cover all the activities undertaken. The policy reflects the company’s position on: • Safety and environmental protection. • Security. • Health and welfare, including Drugs and Alcohol (D&A). • Social responsibility. Policies are endorsed by the highest levels of management. 1A.1.2Policy and procedures are formally reviewed at regular intervals to ensure robustness and effectiveness. Policy and procedures are reviewed at company defined intervals and amended as necessary. This review may include feedback from: • Master’s review of the SMS. • Management reviews. • Onboard safety meetings. • Officer forums and other formal meetings. 1A.1.3Procedures and instructions are written in plain language and contain sufficient detail to ensure that tasks can be completed correctly and consistently. Procedures and instructions are clear, simple to use and are in the working language of the vessel. Instructions are arranged in a clear and logical manner and in a way that makes it easy to identify each step. 1A.1.4Procedures and instructions are easily accessible to personnel and available at appropriate locations. Sufficient electronic or hard copies of procedures and instructions are easily accessible to all personnel, including contractors, at appropriate locations, which may include: • Company offices. • Manning agents’ offices. • On board vessels. 1A.1.5A formal document control system is in place to ensure that the current SMS documentation is available. There is a procedure for revision of the SMS. An appropriate level of management is involved in the approval process for revisions. The formal document control system may include: • An index of numbered revisions, including date of revision. • Disposal of obsolete documents. • Management of uncontrolled documents. Element one: Leadership and the Safety Management System 15 Key Performance IndicatorsBest Practice Guidance 1A.21A.2.1Periodic meetings that review or amend current procedures, or propose new ones, take place at defined intervals and are formally recorded. Formal records include the meeting agenda, minutes, details of procedures and instructions that have been amended as a result of meetings and any other supporting information. Items to consider may include: • Recommendations following incident investigation. • Recommendations from the Master’s review of the SMS. • Results of risk assessments. • Suggestions for continual improvement. • New and upcoming legislation. • Recommendations from industry bodies. 1A.2.2Managers’ roles, responsibilities and accountabilities for achieving objectives are defined within the SMS. Ways of demonstrating that roles and responsibilities are defined may include: • Organisational charts, including reporting lines. • Job descriptions, including responsibilities and accountability. • KPI targets assigned to individual roles. The SMS includes provisions for reassigning responsibilities during periods of absence of key personnel. 1A.2.3Relevant reference documents are provided as a supplement to the SMS both on board and ashore. Reference documents may include regulatory publications and industry guidelines. The company has a procedure for maintaining the most up to date editions in all locations. 1A.31A.3.1Open dialogue between vessel personnel and shore- based personnel to improve the SMS is encouraged. Proactive feedback is encouraged from users including shore- based personnel, vessel personnel and third parties. This may include: • Circulating industry and fleet incidents. • Industry alert bulletins. • Customer and contractor feedback forms. • Seminars. • Open reporting programmes. • Group conferencing via phone or video conferencing. • During vessel visits by shore-based personnel. 1A.3.2Instructions and procedures covering shore and vessel operations are developed in consultation with those who will have to implement them. Personnel are involved in developing instructions and procedures jointly in order to achieve effective guidelines. Methods may include: • Job descriptions include the development of procedures. • Involvement of vessel personnel with projects related to new legislation and equipment. Offshore Vessel Management and Self Assessment (OVMSA) 16 Key Performance IndicatorsBest Practice Guidance 1A.41A.4.1Benchmarking is used to identify further improvements to the SMS. Safety, environmental and management practices are benchmarked against other organisations and industry information sources. Benchmarking is an integral part of the improvement process and the company aims to match evolving best practice. 1A.4.2The company is innovative in improving the content, format and delivery of the SMS. Specialist resources are used to achieve: • Clarification and simplification of language. • Streamlined procedures. • Improved visual presentation, e.g. graphics. • Improved SMS structure and accessibility. • Effective use of IT. 1A.4.3Senior managers have an assurance programme in place to verify the effectiveness of the SMS. Senior managers are responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of the SMS. This is a key responsibility and cannot be delegated to others. The assurance programme may include: • An independent auditing body. • Third party consultancy. • Interdepartmental auditing.