SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
In order for a business to achieve its objectives, the organisation is required to manage many business processes. Safety is one business process that requires particular attention in iPowerboat Ltd day to day operations. Safety management is a core business function just as, for example, financial management and HR management are. The iPowerboat Ltd Safety Management System (SMS) is a systematic approach to managing safety, including the necessary organisational structures, accountability, policies and procedures. Three core aspects of a SMS are:
Systematic – Safety management activities such as our courses, and exams are in accordance with a pre-determined plan and applied in a consistent manner throughout the organisation.
Proactive – An approach that emphasises hazard identification and risk control and mitigation before events that affect safety occur.
Explicit – All safety management control activities are current, documented and visible.
The keystone of safety management at iPowerboat Ltd is commitment from the top. In matters of safety, it is the commitment, competence, attitudes and motivation of individuals at all levels that determines the end result.
The information provided in these pages outlines iPowerboat Ltd approach to Safety Management.
CHAIN OF RESPONSIBILITY.
The chain of responsibility of the iPowerboat Safety Management System is shown diagrammatically.
Horizontal and vertical feedback or communication loops not only assist in the identification of safety hazards and reporting at each level, but they are also essential for communicating our own initiatives to improve safety in the operations and the way in which we respond to incidents.
IPOWERBOAT LTD COMMITMENT TO SAFETY.
The safety policy has been endorsed by the Director(s) of iPowerboat Ltd and the commitment of the Senior Management Team. It's understood by all staff involved in the organisation of courses and services delivered by the iPowerboat Ltd. iPowerboat Ltd safety management policy statement is set out below.
iPowerboat Safety Management Policy Statement.
Safety is of fundamental importance to us all.
Accidents are always unnecessary, frequently costly and often disastrous. Safety protects human and material resources and is vital for the enjoyment of recreational and commercial boating at every level that it takes place.
Accordingly, the provision of safe procedures and practices for each appropriate level identified in the iPowerboat Ltd Safety Management System is a primary objective set out in our Strategic Business Plan. In striving to meet this objective, the Directors at iPowerboat Ltd has resolved to:-
Affirm its ownership of safety and provide clear guidance and oversight of safety issues covering all courses and services.
Ensure that Senior Management and Instructors are provided with clearly defined responsibilities, authority and accountability in respect to safety issues;
Actively promote and develop the culture of continuous safety improvement within its operations; and
Enhance the systems and procedures for auditing and monitoring safety within iPowerboat Ltd.
The Directors and the Senior Management team will do our utmost to implement these resolutions and ensure that adequate resources are provided to manage safety effectively and to train staff.
We recognise that realistically, we can never eliminate risk completely without terminating our operations. Nevertheless, we will strive to identify and deal with safety hazards in an appropriate way in order to constrain the risks they pose to a level that is justifiable, tolerable and as low as possible.
In doing so, we will review, scrutinise and assess our own operating procedures and internal control documents regularly and we will provide sound guidance that the wider boating community can adapt for its own use.
In addition, we will encourage accident and incident reporting following the triggers and processes set out in the iPowerboat Safety Management System in order to evaluate them, learn from them and to share any lessons learned; we will amend our own safety documentation and practices as necessary.
All staff and contractors understand that they have a duty to establish safe procedures and practices for their areas of responsibility and to work continuously to promote safety among all iPowerboat Ltd staff. They expect instructors and examiners to lead by example. In turn, we all expect every individual to take personal responsibility for their own safety and actions at every level of activity and in every discipline.
By working together, we can maintain a safe and efficient organisation that promotes safe operations.
Ryan Tozer
Managing Director & RYA Principal.
The safety policy is reviewed annually together with the iPowerboat Ltd strategic plan and the iPowerboat risk register and formally approved by the Director(s).
iPOWERBOAT SAFETY OBJECTIVES.
The Strategic Plan requires iPowerboat to implement and maintain a proactive approach to safety within its structure.
iPowerboat Ltd will do this through its Safety Management System in order to examine its operations continuously and to identify hazards in order to eliminate or reduce risk to as low as reasonably practicable such that it is acceptable to the Company.
The Safety Management System focuses on the safety aspects of the Company; it is an essential management tool which compliments corporate governance in the proactive evaluation of safety risks and the attainment of its objectives. In particular, the Safety Management System will enable iPowerboat Ltd to:
Affirm its ownership of safety and provide clear guidance and oversight of safety issues covering all areas of operation.
Ensure that all Senior Management and Instructors are provided with clearly defined responsibilities, authority and accountability in respect to safety issues.
Actively promote and develop the culture of continuous safety awareness within its operations.
Enhance its systems and procedures for auditing and monitoring safety within the Company.
Develop a culture of instinctively reporting and following up accidents and incidents at the appropriate level so that lessons may be learned.
ACCIDENT AND INCIDENT REPORTING.
Reporting accidents, incidents and near misses is a vital tool to allowing lessons to be learned before they become serious.
Ideally the best way of preventing harm from occurring, is to introduce measures that prevent hazards and risks from occurring. But as is made clear in the Safety Management Policy Statement, iPowerboat Ltd recognises that realistically, risk can never be eliminated completely without terminating its operations.
However, the dominant root causes of most boating accidents are shortcomings in knowledge and human behaviour and these are therefore major factors in the control of risk. Initiatives to share information are invaluable for imparting knowledge and influencing behaviour.
With this in mind the Safety Management System includes procedures to ensure that non-conformities, accidents and hazardous situations are reported, analysed and shared with the objective of improving safety. As a result iPowerboat Ltd has established a number of triggers for reporting and recording accidents and incidents which are mandatory.