Safety Management Systems need to be simple clear, accurate as well as communicative for effective use. In reality, most safety management systems still suffer from inherited structural complications, complex procedures and absence of simple and accurate workflows. Thenamaris in line with the company’s continuous drive towards excellence andaspiration as a model ship management company, decided to work with Prevention at Sea (PAS) for simplifying and modernizing its Safety Management System.

Simplification is the fundamental method to providing accurate instructions, reducing the likelihood of incidents at work and identifying complicated and time-consuming tasks. Specifically, Capt. Zacharias Vairamakis, Safety Development Officer at Thenamaris, stated: ‘Our SMS holds a critical role and acts as the channel of communicating our policies, procedures and safe practices to all engaged parties. We felt that the time is right for our SMS to become modern, simple, and seafarer-centered. Surprisingly, we found a reliable firm next door and we are very satisfied with the result.’

PAS implements a SMART method for companies seeking an effective and simplified SMS. The SMART method secures:

• Simplicity & Clarity
• Precision, Accuracy & Coherence
• Modern Design & User-friendliness
• Compliance with Industry standards

The first priority of simplifying an operational process should always be to achieve ‘a safe business environment – safe person’. Nonetheless, ‘simple’ should not be confused with ‘simplistic’, as simplification describes the effort and strategy to take advantage of the way people see and process information.

Through TMSA 9.2.1, it is suggested, that the SMS safe working procedures should be shaped only after a thorough risk assessment takes place, taking into consideration not only the nature of the task, but also the potential surrounding conditions and the people risk perception.

Simplification based only on reducing the length of the text is not panacea. It is prudent, when working on SMS simplification to first analyze the Industry’s requirements and also
remember the obligation to comply with specific rules and standards set by stakeholders such as Oil Majors, which in turn may require certain procedures to be available within the SMS in writing; such a requirement though, does not indicate a ‘plain text approach’.

Mr Petros Achtypis, CEO of Prevention at Sea stated:

‘We are very excited and honored by the decision of Thenamaris Inc. to work with us on this project. It is certainly a positive vote of trust for our maritime expertise and techniques on simplifying existing Safety Management Systems as well as the development or enhancement of risk assessed SMS procedures.’