Document 6bkKRnqYBygOOBwVo5EVozEa4

1960 National Safety Congress Marine Industries V In somroao" the following are of equal Enforcement for moral reasons as well as good practical It is surprising how often the main safety importance for a well rounded effective safety program: Education Promotion Cooperation Inspection Recognition We have tried to work all these into our safety program in order to accomplish our goal of a perfect safety record each year, business reasons, tliat you can give away or share responsibility for shipboard safety with any outside person or group. Operat ing managers who have kept a fleet run ning over the years know its problems better than any one else can: the condition effort is directed toward the conditions of equipment and structural layout aboard ship. And yet well-proven statistics show that less than 4 per cent of all injury is caused by equipment failure. The remaining 96 per cent is caused by "man failure" in the cl the vessels, the nature of the cargos, form of haste, inattention, carelessness, and the peculiarities of the trades engaged in, ignorance. How to assume responsibility in and, most important, the composition and these important areas? To proride leader WHO'S SETTING THE COURSE? characteristics of the crews aboard ship. ship toward teamwork aboard ship where Solutions to problems are not found by each individual understands that accident By CART. ROBERT E. MACKEY Asst- Mgr., Operations, Marine Department Texaco, Inc., New York City parcelling out responsibility. It is time to 5iop blaming the unions, the C. >. Public Heaith and others ior our difficulties. e must accept the responsibility for safety and injury' lead to personal loss? That acci dent and irjury affect all by lessening job security? That sustaining an injury is avoidable and unnecessary, and ill becomes A seaman falls out of a bosun's chair The American Merchant Marine simply and strive to uncover the proper answers. a professional seaman who takes pride in Once we have put our houses in order, we his work? /: X k and breaks a leg. To him personal safety has suddenly become a vital matter. He'll make sure that he doesn't fall out or a chair again, at least for a while. In a larger sense, the marine industry is continually falling out of the chair, being `'hurt" year after year by the rising cost of claims and insurance premiums, as well as the bad effects upon morale whei injuries occur. What steps can be taken to prevent the recurrence of this undesirable situation? What courses must we sail to avoid inef ficient operations and needless costs? And who is going to set these courses? Before trying to answer these questions, let's look at the extent of the safety prob lem facing the American Merchant Marine. Statistics compiled annually by the National Safety Council show that marine transpor tation ranked 3Sth among 40 American in dustries rated in 1959. With regard to frequency of disabling injury, only coal mining and lumbering fared worse than we. \\ itn regard to severity ox disabling injury, we were next to low man on the totem pole, only the coal miners sustaining more severe injuries in 1959. Looking at the matter in dollars rather than statistics, a close friend high in ma rine insurance drcles has given me his care ful estimate that in a recent year, the cost of claims to the underwriters has been in can't afford to pay the highest wages in the world, build the finest, most comfortable vessels, and continue to pay far and away the highest settlements for illness and in jury claims. The picture is not all black, of course. Many of us here who have attended these meetings year after year and have gone back and influenced our managements to plan and work and spend for increased shipboard safety are convinced that good progress has been made. But the record has been uneven between different com panies. Many outfits have set up very ef:relive programs; others havei't done as well. We hope and expect that the com panies that arc lagging will catch fire and forge ahead. For to put it frankly, the weak links in the chain may cause us to drop the load. Insurance gets more costly for all of us. companies with good and bad records alike. Seamen untrained in shipboard safety circu late throughout the industry which puts an added burden on the vessels that are con scientious about shipboard safety. Areas of poor safety performance in the industry be come the targets of governmental or union action which is not selective but tends to interfere generally with management func tions and responsibilities. Which leads me to answer my earlier will then be in a position to insist on the cooperation of others. A labor union, as the certified representa tive of the employees, may and should play its proper role in challenging management's action in the field o: safety to obtain changes they feel advisable. At the same time, the union should cooperate in every way possible to reduce injuries if they are sincerely interested in the welfare of the people they represent. But, and this is a big "but," it was never intended, nor do responsible labor officials propose, that unions relieve management of its proper function of managing. Let's keep this dis tinction clearly in mind. I'm not going to challenge you with this idea of full management responsibility without offering some suggestions, based on practical experience, as to how it can be brought about. The first thing, and this is most critical, is to create a suitable climate in which to work. To do this it is necessary to recog nize that the men on your vessels arc your employees, and should l*e treated accord ingly. Seamen are changing with the times. They are first-class citizens; many are purchasing homes and cars, are educating children, have continuing responsibilities. They don't quit a ship on whim. These These arc ideas, or concepts, that must be understood and agreed upon by officers and men aboard the vessels before they will be acted upon. Management's chief responsi bility, you see, becomes one of teaching, or propagandizing, or selling, if you prefer that word. Lct me outline the planks in a safety campaign that Tcxacomarine has worked out over the years aimed directly at put ting the safety idea across, gening it ac cepted and acted upon. The five planks are good supervision, indoctrination, investiga tion, inspection and group meetings. Before describing these activities briefly. Jet me say that none of them has been developed to" a point where we are completely satis fied with :t But we arc convinced we are heading in the right direction because there is a part to play in each of the activities for the unlicensed man, the ship's officer, and for management. Good Supervision--Few will argue with the importance of good supervision. It's basic, although not easy to achieve or to evaluate. You will agree that a good super visor is one who gets his people to do what he wants, when he wants it, the way he wants it, because they want to do it. This is not utopia. You can expect it of a good supervisor. the neighborhood of $/0 million. Eventually, question and to develop briefly with you a men, who comprise a Urge and growing Go aboard one of your ships, ask around, through increased premiums, the shipown personal working philosophy I hope you segment of American seamen, are the ones find out how many department heads know* ers will foot this bill--a sum large enough will consider carefully. who will work with management, it they the names of their men. A good supervisor to build nine or ten coastwise vessels and You and I, marine management. are the are given progressive leadership--leadership knows not only their names, but something to provide for as many as 450 additional ones who must set the courses toward bet which is compounded of consideration, about their backgrounds and experience, jobs for American seamen and officers. ter shipboard safety. I just don't believe. recognition and respect. what jobs they do well or poorly. 22 23