ALERT — ISSUE 26 — HSEQ

This twenty-six issue of the Alert bulletin is devoted to the HSEQ. Throughout the last several issues of the bulletin its authors have provided a lot of useful information about the health of the people working on vessels, their safety and wellbeing. However, they have not covered the environment and quality as thoroughly as these aspects should have been addressed.

Combined, these four are forming the acronym HSEQ which is in the title of this paper; note, however, that each of them can actually affect safe operation of the vessel and have serious impact om the safe of the cargo on board and its timely delivery. If we add Security, we will get the essentials of an IMS, standing for the Integrated Management System. It's success is mainly dependent on the human element.

For the effective work of any integrated management system, we will need to look at the organization as a whole, covering the living and working conditions created for the people both on board and ashore. Of course, there should be regulation to help making shipping safer and more secure. The standards should be established applying to the design and construction of the vessel, as well as to the training of the persons involved.

The operational procedures have to be regulated. The idea is to develop and implement regulation protecting a seafarer and providing him/er with safest working and living environment, fair conditions of employment and a decent healthy lifestyle.