In this second article as part of our coalition partner spotlight series we speak to William Nugent, the SVP Chief Technical and Sustainability Officer at International Seaways, Inc.
Highlighting the critical importance of getting safety right, William shares how his company utilises Together in Safety’s resources; reveals why International Seaways, Inc. joined the coalition; and analyses the commercial benefits of safer practices.
Can you tell us a little bit about what your company does?
International Seaways is an energy transporter. More specifically, we transport oil and oil products internationally for Oil Majors like Exxon and Shell, National Oil Companies like Aramco, and commodity traders like Trafigura and Vitol. These are our direct customers, and they have high expectations of us to provide safe, reliable, quality service.
Their customers – the oil terminals that load or receive their cargo – have equally high standards as do the communities in which these value chain entities operate. Our core business principle is to understand and meet these expectations, and where we can aim exceed them.
We have a fleet of about seventy oil tankers of all sizes – from 50,000-ton deadweight oil/product tankers to 300,000-ton deadweight VLCCs. We operate three dual fuel LNG VLCCs. Our ships are operated by two industry-leading ship managers.
When did you join the coalition and why?
We have had a longstanding commitment to industry partnership and engagement. The tanker industry is quite open and sharing of information, best practices, and lessons learned. This is very much the expectation of our customers, who expect transparency, full reporting of incidents, and demonstration of corrective actions.
As we noted, it is our core belief to meet or exceed our customer’s expectations. Moving beyond tankers and becoming part of a broader industry coalition focused on safety, wellbeing, and leadership in all shipping industry segments clearly fits our goals, so we joined Together in Safety in 2022.
What are the commercial benefits of safer practices?
An oil spill is expensive. A cargo fire is expensive. The cost of a lost eye or crushed hand or, god forbid, a loss of life, is immeasurable. The loss of reputation and commercial implications for a serious incident directly impacts the bottom line. These are “debits.”
What are the “credits” or the pluses? Crew wellbeing and loyalty, excellence in operation, improved reputation, and strong relationships with your customers and the communities in which we all operate, to name a few.
How does your company utilise Together in Safety’s resources?
Together in Safety has prepared guidance for Leadership, Incident Prevention, and Wellbeing. These principles and guidelines have a place in the Board Room, in the C-Suite, in the office, and on the deck plates.
The Leadership materials have been shared throughout our management team and shore staff and the themes in these documents have been echoed onboard. The best safety leadership is by example and we see the actions of the management team reflected onboard.
We work with two very qualified technical managers with mature safety systems. The Together in Safety principles and focus areas are already well incorporated into their management systems. Where I see our next great opportunity is in the Wellbeing space – really, we are talking about Human Performance. Crew wellbeing has always been a cornerstone of Together in Safety. Over the past few years, the group has been working together to gather and assess the many requirements, programs, and systems that have been developed. From this effort, Together in Safety has crafted nine pillars - each driven from the top with visible leadership, each closely based in the group’s safety principles, and each with clear actionable goals that extend down to the deck plates.
I see these nine pillars as our next step in safety leadership. They are as applicable to the shoreside workspace as they are to the bridge, engine room, and the decks in between.
How easy is it for companies to dovetail Together in Safety’s materials with their existing policies and procedures?
Companies can choose their level of implementation. The best first step is to click the “Get Started” link on the website and undertake the self-assessment. From there, an organisation might go one step further and share that assessment form throughout the organisation and take a more holistic view of their culture and build a program to strengthen their safety muscle. A company can also dive right into a specific topic – say enclosed space entry – and get materials, posters, learnings and share them directly with the ships.
Why should other companies get involved?
The benefits are many. By improving your safety culture, you are addressing the expectations of good customers, creating an environment that fosters engaged employees, and reducing a company’s risk and expense.
