Having been operational since 2013, Athens based Ionic Group is a family business committed to delivering service excellence.
Its fleet of 18 ships consists of both oil tankers and bulk carriers, and the company’s continuous efforts to provide value added marine transportation solutions to its end users has earned it a reputation for delivering the highest levels of service, quality and efficiency.
This is underpinned by Ionic’s dedication to its safety, health, quality and environmental responsibilities.
As part of this, Ionic wanted to enhance and develop its safety practices and operations – not only to minimise potential down-time and the risk of a maritime incident, but to ensure its people feel happy and supported, which is key to safer operations.
Consequently, Ionic looked at incorporating the Together in Safety resources into its safety practices using the three Strategic Pillars of Leadership, Incident Prevention, and Wellbeing & Care.
Here we take a look at the progress made by Ionic and the resulting impact.
Leadership
Leadership is a key driver that contributes to safety onboard ships and needs to be addressed from the very top level of the company to each and every individual, regardless of their position and rank. Our message is that ultimately, everyone is a safety leader, and it’s also the role of senior leadership teams to provide top-down leadership with passion and commitment.
Ionic implemented a number of Together in Safety programmes to further improve their leadership of safety.
This included:
- The CEO and senior management team evaluating the opportunities in the Key Behaviours of Great Safety Leadership
- The management team carrying out visits onboard fleet ships to facilitate discussions with seafarers at all levels. These conversations directly led to new safety policies being introduced following employee feedback
- The development of an enhanced training programme of specialised courses, including sessions focusing on soft skills
- The introduction of a Behavioural Competencies Scheme, giving employees practical tips and skills relating to the behaviours onboard personnel are expected to demonstrate alongside their job-relevant practical abilities
- Initiation of a Safety Culture Evaluation to analyse the impact of Together in Safety’s guiding principles and to identify further improvements that could be achieved
From the Master to Cadets, the principles and activities undertaken by Ionic have inspired all employees to see safety as everyone’s responsibility, fostering a culture where implementing best practice with regards to safety is celebrated and encouraged.
Incident Prevention
The Together in Safety Golden Safety Rules, which have been crafted following a detailed review of fatal incident reports across all sectors of the shipping industry, set out ten key principles for every company and seafarer to adopt, and use on a daily basis to prevent injuries and fatalities.
Designed to complement existing management systems and procedures, but not replace them, the aim of implementing the Golden Safety Rules is to ultimately help keep seafarers safe, and they are applicable for everyone who works on a ship.
Ionic has embedded the Rules into all their safety protocols and procedures. The booklet is also available to read in recreational rooms, and is widely utilised in training sessions and activities.
Incorporating the Golden Safety Rules into its safety provision has amplified Ionic’s safety messages, showing how the Rules can dovetail with a company’s own set of procedures.
Elsewhere, Ionic has been guided by Together in Safety’s resources to enhance incident prevention through:
- The preparation of modules focusing on bunker spills, mooring operations and pilot transfer arrangements inspired by resources provided in the Together in Safety programme
- The creation of a bespoke training module on working aloft which has been shared with Together in Safety members as an example of best practice
Ionic’s focus on Together in Safety highlights how companies can use the materials to effectively enhance their own safety procedures and integrate practices seamlessly with their own activities.
Wellbeing & Care
Wellness doesn’t just refer to a person’s physical health, but to all the different, yet connected aspects of who they are – from their relationships and emotions to their finances.
Further to this, crew being supported and happy onboard vessels is key to safer operations.
Together in Safety signposts the shipping world to resources, guides and methods to help companies enhance their wellness and wellbeing provision.
Inspired by these materials, Ionic has implemented a range of activities and initiatives to support the mental and physical health of their teams. This includes:
- Implementing a number of ‘resilience’ training modules featuring topics such as dealing with a crisis and looking at situations in a different way
- Providing a substantial welfare fund to all fleet vessels
- Providing free access to WhatsApp from a ship’s communication network so seafarers can communicate with family and friends and access mental health support
- Adding materials to the online library which can be accessed by all crew which outline techniques for recognising and dealing with mental health issues
- Introducing the Ionic Happiness Index to monitor and benchmark seafarer satisfaction levels. More than 200 seafarers participated, and feedback acted upon
A wellbeing campaign encouraging seafarers to share their own experiences proved impactful too, and fostered enhanced team spirit across the entire Ionic fleet.
Implementing Together in Safety’s guiding principles regarding Wellbeing & Care has been transformative for Ionic and its seafarers, with the company now looking at other ways it can support the physical and mental health of its employees.
Next Steps
“Together in Safety sets us apart through industry-wide collaboration and a broader risk management approach. A key differentiator is deeper crew engagement. By embracing safety, we empower seafarers to identify best practices, share insights, and drive continuous improvement. This shift from compliance to learning strengthens our safety culture and ensures lasting performance gains.”
Following the successful implementation of Together in Safety’s guiding principles, Ionic has set out further steps to drive safer working practices and principles. These include:
- Conducting a Safety Culture Survey for onboard and ashore personnel
- Enhancing the Wellbeing Campaign and conducting the second Ionic Happiness Index survey
- Introducing a Leadership module accompanied by related material and training
- Carrying out at least two CEO/Management visits on the Bulk Carrier fleet
- Utilising Incident Prevention Resources to create a Together in Safety program with a two-month periodicity
- Introducing an enhanced Behaviour Competency Assessment scheme
How to Get Involved
For more information on how your company can benefit from utilising our resources, head to our ‘Get Started’ page.
