NYK President Hears from Captains and Chief Engineers to Enrich Safety

 On August 27, NYK president Tadaaki Naito and executive officers held a meeting about the safe operation of the NYK fleet with six captains and chief engineers at the NYK headquarters in Tokyo.

This meeting was a part of the Remember Naka-no-Se safety campaign* that NYK conducts from every July 1. President Naito chairs NYK’s Safety and Environmental Management Committee,** which oversees the safe operation of the NYK fleet, and he holds the meeting to hear directly from captains and chief engineers working on the front line of operations and to encourage the implementation of practical, workable activities.

This year, safety concerns indicated by crew members serving on board and proposals for improvement, possibly resulting in creative solutions,*** were discussed in depth.

During the campaign, NYK Group members, including NYK executives, visit vessels to deepen communication between the onboard crew and onshore staff by exchanging opinions about safe ship operations. Other activities are also conducted to remind that “safety” is our chief mission as a company. These activities include safety meetings with shipowners and ship-management companies, and a crisis-response drill followed by a mock press conference to practice mobilizing a quick response to a serious accident.

NYK considers the achievement of safe operations as its most important task, and the company continues to strengthen its ship-operation systems to remain a leading company in the safety and environmental field, as directed in the NYK medium-term management plan, “More Than Shipping 2018.”

* Remember Naka-no-Se safety campaign

A two-month annual campaign started in an effort to learn from the mistakes that led to a 1997 oil spill from an NYK VLCC when the vessel touched bottom at Naka-no-Se in Tokyo Bay. From July, the month the incident occurred, top management and other staff visit NYK-operated ships to ensure the implementation of safe ship operations.

** Safety and Environmental Management Committee

Supreme decision-making body that monitors activities on safety measures and environmental issues. The committee was established in April 2001 as a cross-sectional organization chaired by the president.

*** Creative solutions

Service and quality improvement measures emphasized in NYK’s medium-term management plan, “More Than Shipping 2018,” to differentiate NYK from its competitors.