CSL and V Ships are pleased to announce the launching of a joint safety initiative called ‘SafePartners’.
Together in 2012 and beyond, we will raise the bar still further in our safety performance and we recognise that this will only be achievable with the full engagement and involvement of everyone who works in or for CSL. To do this we have engaged WrightWay, a company from the UK specialising in safety culture change and in the pursuit of safety excellence. They are practical marine people, led by Captain John Wright, who have already assisted many large companies in similar programs, but more recently with BC Ferries here in Canada.
How will it work? Well, we will be holding a series of ‘SafePartner’ workshops over the winter and this will be one of the biggest internal consulting exercises that we have ever embarked upon. This is phase II of the DnV project, now with more traction. We want to reach out to every single employee, and go over what still needs to be improved. We will ask you for what you feel is wrong, your recommendations to put it right and how we can simplify, improve and make what we do safer and more efficient. Nothing will be “off limits” from your deliberations. At the conclusion of all the workshops, the SafePartners team, drawn from all parts of both V Ships & CSL and including sea staffs, will look at all of your safety improvement ideas and formulate a simple and SMARTT (Specific Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, Track-able and Time Based) plan of action which will be owned and executed by you, the end users and the people who came up with the solutions in the first place! You will be supported and helped by your line managers, supervisors and the safety department and they, in turn will be helped and supported by their line managers and ultimately myself and Sandy. This is a multi-year initiative that will be led from the deck plates and we recognise that no other method will harness the enormous talent that we are fortunate to have within CSL.
With the excitement of bringing into service our new ships arriving in 2012 comes new challenges for CSL and V Ships and we are determined to do all that we can to ensure that all of our people work in a safe environment. This process will deliver the necessary changes to equip all of us in CSL and V.Ships to face the challenges together and we invite you to please work with us to achieve these ambitions for the good of all of us and our families.
The Wrightway program has already commenced with the gathering of the ‘Safepartners’ team amongst Sea and Office staff to discuss the concept and carry out a workshop that will emulate the ‘Town Hall’ meetings to come. Other Town Hall” meetings will be held this winter with the objective of capturing the entire seagoing workforce. The first meeting went very well where participants left with a very positive opinion. All agree that with a sincere willingness for change, and the commitment to fully engage all levels of this organization, we will revive and nurture the safety culture that our employees deserve in this Company. We will not only grow the business and create more jobs, but we will ensure that all our staff returns home safely. That is the ultimate goal that supersedes everything else we do.
In addition we are pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Lizane Carbonneau in the position of CSL Safety Manager as of January 15th. Ms Carbonneau initial role apart from acquainting herself with our vessels and business, will also include working closely with WrightWay and all participants to bring further experience to this program and support its progress.
V.Ships will provide further details regarding the planning for the Wrightway meetings in due course, but I ask that everyone endeavours to make one day available over the next couple of months to attend the ‘Town Hall’ meetings which will take place in St. Catherine’s, Montreal, and Nova Scotia/Newfoundland.
Myself along with everyone at CSL and V.Ships, are very enthusiastic about the WrightWay program, and its capability to successfully bring about improvements in our Safety Culture.
I thank you for your commitment and support over the next months and years to come.
Louis Martel
