The Safety and Sustainability” (SSU) meeting included some interesting presentations on recent safety incidents and best practice, including discussion of:

• The increasingly complex and technical nature of incident causal factors
• Digital safety – for example, the use of GPS positioning wristbands on all crew involved in lifting – then with the use of cameras and computers, we can calculate if crew go in the line of fire or in the “DROPS cone” - and a buzzer sounds on their wrist
• Reinforcing the positive – we’re good at learning the lessons to eliminate what we do WRONG…how good are we at learning the lessons to do MORE of what we’re doing RIGHT
• Implicit messages from management: “no one person said that operations are more important than safety” BUT, some workers do perceive just that – leaders and managers attitudes and behaviours are more important than structures, processes and words.

During the trip to Norway we visited DOF ASA in Bergen for an opportunity to share information about IMCA with senior people from NUI, GC Rieber Shipping, Mohn Drilling and from DOF. We also heard from the CEO of the RAFTO foundation on human rights. The meeting was an ideal opportunity to share valuable information and to build a deeper engagement with IMCA and we are hopeful this will lead to closer high-level links between IMCA and the Norwegian Shipowners Association.