Crew safety a priority in every voyage- MaruFleet
EVERY voyage isn’t just about transporting cargo — it’s about returning home safely.
For MaruFleet, a joint ship management unit between Fleet Management Ltd. (Fleet) and MMSL Pte. Ltd. (MMSL), a Singapore subsidiary of Marubeni Corp. (Marubeni), this is a company priority that cannot be compromised.
Shet Madhusudhan, chief technical officer of MMSL, stressed this in an interview with The Manila Times: “The crew is our asset because they are the ones who manage our ships safely and economically.”
Crew safety, above all else, he reiterated, is a philosophy deeply embedded in the company’s culture; crew well-being remains the unwavering constant, guiding every decision and action.
Accordingly, in MaruFleet, safety isn’t just a policy but a way of life, ensuring its valued crew members navigate challenges with confidence, knowing they are supported and prioritized every step of the way.
This unwavering commitment translates to robust safety protocols, comprehensive training, and an environment that values open communication and collaboration, ultimately creating a voyage where the greatest treasure brought back to shore is the crew itself.
Madhusudhan pointed out, “Training the crew is the utmost priority for us. And we do give lots of priority to crew training and significantly invest in training as part of our culture.”
“The more we train our seafarers, the better it is for our overall operations. If something does go wrong onboard, we take the opportunity to delve into the incident and share the learnings with our broader colleagues, so everyone learns from it — aiming to ensure that this doesn’t happen again in our fleet,” he said.
Madhusudhan said crew safety training seminars and sessions are additional undertakings to the company’s well-placed regular KPI performance index, wherein the company monitors its activities and incidents.
He said, “We receive reports from our vessels and compare these month to month. If we feel that something is not right and should be done in a particular area, we discuss together and work on improving that aspect.”
This constant improvement approach, he said, works to reduce incidents onboard the ships.
On the issue of fatigue and stress among seafarers while on board, Madhusudhan said: “We do understand that they get stressed and experience fatigue due to the nature of business. Whenever they are in trouble, whenever they are in doubt, whenever they need support, our phones are open 24/7, and we do all we can to guide and support them. We also have a range of other mental and physical wellbeing support systems in place.”
On how the company addresses potential dangers in operating in high-risk areas like the Red Sea, Madhusudhan said, “Concerns regarding seafarer and vessel safety in high-risk areas like the Red Sea are understandably top of mind.”
In mitigating risks in such areas, he explained that the company prioritizes safe routes and avoids unnecessary exposure to high-risk zones whenever possible. When transiting in such areas, ships maintain a safe distance from potentially dangerous locations per designated guidelines.
To safeguard ships and crews, he said, “We almost always employ armed guards during high-risk transits. These security professionals are trained and equipped to deter and respond to potential threats.”
The vessels, he further commented, remain in constant communication with onshore teams and relevant authorities, ensuring real-time updates and swift response in case of emergencies.
As for crew preparedness, he explained that seafarers undergo rigorous training on various security and safety protocols, including emergency response procedures, piracy awareness, and crisis management. Regular drills and simulations ensure their readiness for any situation.
Madhusudhan stressed that the company constantly evaluates and updates security measures based on evolving threats and industry best practices.
Madhusudhan was one of the speakers during a recent Safety Management System workshop organized by Fleet for its senior officers, held at the City Garden Hotel in Manila.