Crew Engagement and Culture Key to Workboat Safety

Some 50 percent of crews working on offshore support vessels are willing to compromise safety rather than say “no” to clients or senior management, while nearly 80 percent believe commercial pressures could influence the safety of their working practices, according to operations and maintenance management software specialist Helm Operations, who commissioned a newly published report on workboat and OSV safety.

The independent report, which summarizes six months of research by Fathom Maritime Intelligence and primary data collection and analysis by Southampton Solent University, draws on original analysis of Port State Control detention records, feedback from 50 individuals from various off-shore companies, incident case studies, and input from leaders in best practice.

“This report identifies shortcomings in current safety cultures, and makes recommendations on how the workboat and OSV sectors can enhance and audit safe working practices,” said Ron deBruyne Co-Founder and CEO, Helm Operations.

The research study found crew engagement and organizational safety culture to heavily impact the safety performance on workboats and OSVs. The study therefore recommends that owners and operators who wish to improve safety performance should establish and embed a safety culture in their organizations, with a focus on several key factors, as identified in the report.

The full version of the OSV Safety report is available to download from the Helm Operations website.