Memorial and Reflection 20 Years After the Accident: Learning from the Past to Foster an Even Stronger Safety Culture

Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, announced that on October 8, the company held a memorial ceremony and beach cleanup at Nikkawahama Beach on the Kashimanada Coast in Ibaraki Prefecture, with 179 MOL Group executives and employees in attendance. The event marked the 20th anniversary of the tragic marine accident involving the Giant Step, an MOL-operated large iron ore carrier that ran aground and sank off the Kashimanada Coast, leaving 10 crewmembers dead or missing. The MOL Group holds this memorial ceremony every year to express its deepest condolences to those who lost their lives in the accident and to ensure that the lessons and memories of the tragedy are never forgotten.

Each participant took the opportunity to reflect once again on the accident, renewing the group’s commitment to preserving and passing on its memory as an organization and applying the knowledge gained from the tragedy to their daily work. Starting this year, the MOL Group has designated October, the month in which the accident occurred, as “MOL Group Safety Enhancement Month.” With a focus on reaffirming the lessons learned from the accident, the Group promotes a range of initiatives, including organizing the “Briefing Session for the 2006 Serious Marine incidents” for employees across the Group, updating video materials related to the accident, and providing e-learning programs designed to foster a strong safety culture. Through these initiatives, the MOL Group encourages employees to reflect on safety and put those reflections into action across the group.

This initiative is part of the “BLUE ACTION for ALL Campaign,” under which the entire MOL Group participates in a wide range of social contribution activities. It also supports “reforming safety awareness through mutual enlightenment,” a key component of the safety infrastructure of the “MOL Group Safety Vision.”