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| Safety Management |
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| Establishing and maintaining safety in navigation and cargo operation,
protecting the environment, and maintaining economically efficient operations
are essential in operating a shipping business. Safe navigation and cargo
operations are, above all, the foundation of our business. For this reason,
and to protect the environment and operate efficiently, we are committed
to building, executing, and maintaining a secure system for safety in navigation
and cargo operation. |
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| System for Managing Safety in Navigation and Cargo Operation |
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Positioning of Safe Navigation and Cargo Operations |
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| Safety as the foundation of international logistics Infrastructure |
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| Establishing and maintaining safety in navigation and cargo operation is essential for ensuring the safety of crew members and ships, and for safe, reliable shipping of cargo that our customers
entrust to us. It is also an essential foundation of the shipping business as international logistics infrastructure that supports the economic activities and lives of people around the world. |
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| A variety of measures for supporting safety |
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To ensure safety in navigation and cargo operation, we need to take a number of initiatives. For example, we need to improve the marine skills of crew members directly involved in ship navigation.
We need to have onshore operating staff and other related people accumulate knowledge and experience, and we need to improve on-board facilities and obtain and provide appropriate information on weather and hydrographic conditions.
We must be capable of appropriately handling problems and troubles that arise during voyages, cargo handling, and on-board operations. We must also be able to respond to emergency situations such as marine casualties.
We therefore take diverse initiatives based on the recognition that safe navigation of ships is our mission, accompanied by social responsibility. |
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| Cargo oil discharging rate being controlled at a tanker |
Cargo oil discharging pressure being checked at a tanker |
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Establishment of the Ship Safety Promotion Committee |
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| Group-wide efforts for ship safety |
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| The Ship Safety Promotion Committee is chaired by the President and consists of Executive officers of Sales Departments and Marine Departments, and Executive Officers from Group companies responsible for ship management. The Committee meets every quarter to discuss and implement measures from every possible viewpoint concerning all matters related to safety at sea including aggregation of problems during the period under review, analysis of their causes, formulation of measures for preventing their recurrence, and responding to international treaties and laws and regulations that will be newly introduced or amended. The Committee has also developed measures against piracy in the Gulf of Aden; activity that is now expanding into
the Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean. The measures vary depending on the type
and characteristics of the ship. Advice is sought from the Committee and
new measures are considered whenever necessary, thereby establishing and
maintaining safety. |
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| "K" Line Group's System for Safety Management |
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| Initiatives for Safety at Sea |
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Safety Management System (SMS) |
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| SMS as the manual for ensuring ship safety |
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| To ensure safe navigation of ships, we need to take our own safety measures
and provide different training for different kinds of ships, in addition,
of course, to meet requirements of international treaties and the laws
and regulations of relevant countries. The SMS summarizes steps to take
concerning these requirements based on common recognition of them by crew
members and ship management companies. An international treaty mandates
maintaining of an SMS. |
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| Pre-boarding briefing at a ship management company |
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| Strict application of SMS |
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Our strict application of SMS is confirmed through internal safety audits
conducted by auditors of ship management companies and through regular
examinations by the classification society that certifies our SMS. We immediately
take corrective measures if any matters are pointed out in the audits and
examinations. The SMS is also checked at calling ports through Port State
Control (PSC ) to ensure its strict application.
PSC: An inspection of a foreign ship by authorities of the calling port's
country. It aims at confirming there are no problems with the ship concerning
safety and compliance, safety of human lives, and environmental preservation. |
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| Confirmation of SMS application in the ship |
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Safety Report System |
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| Catching all small mistakes in order to prevent accidents |
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All accidents are caused by small mistakes, and the Safety Report System encourages us to report those mistakes. The system aims at catching the errors and thoroughly analyzing the causes and factors behind them. Those who report the errors are not blamed.
Countermeasures are studied based on the results of those analyses, and each ship is informed of the details of the measures.Thus, the Safety Report System is applied to prevent recurrence of similar errors and to raise safety awareness among crew members. |
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Safety Campaigns |
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| Safety Campaign in winter |
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| From December 1 to the following January 31 we conduct the safety Campaign
under the theme of "safety and environmental preservation." When
our ship calls at a port, the persons in charge of the ship operation department
and marine safety department, safety supervisors, supervisors in charge
of ship management companies, and others visit the ship to conduct activities
necessary for ensuring safe navigation and cargo operations, such as exchange
of opinions with crew members and inspection of the ship's hull and onboard
equipment. During this campaign, these activities gain further benefit
from visits by our president and the board members along with strengthening
of the activities. These efforts are to confirm a system for close communication
among staff and to share information with them. The activities are aimed
at further raising awareness of safety in navigation and cargo operation
among all staff on ships and on shore. |
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| Poster of the Winter Season Safety and Environment Protection Campaign |
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| Quality Management of Ship |
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Securing Quality During Ship Construction |
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| Construction based on a clear quality management system |
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| Constructing a new ship is a joint operation involving the shipyard and
"K" Line's Technical Group. Since 2007, our Technical Group has
been certified in quality management systems for the construction of new
ships (ISO 9001). The scope of the system includes the duties of our Technical
Group at the Head Office and the construction superintendent stationed
in the shipyard. In this way, organizational management is undertaken by
integrating the management of all operations, from planning to construction.
The Group has also adopted quality management policies based on "K"
Line's principles, and has developed specific action plans based on the
policies. The Group has therefore set out clear quality management procedures
to be followed on a practical level while also striving to maintain and
improve the standard of the quality management system. |
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| ISO 9001 certificate |
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| Uncompromising in the application of "K" Line Standard Specifications |
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| We have adopted "K" Line's proprietary standard specifications
based on our experience in navigation, construction, maintenance, and inspection
of ships, and we apply them in construction of new ships. We continually
review and evaluate these specifications to prevent any overlap of functions
and to avoid overcomplicating systems. When constructing ships, we hold
discussions with the shipyard and equipment manufacturers based on our
original standards, started at the specification and drawing stage. Our
views may differ from those of the shipyard, but when it comes to safety
in navigation and cargo operations or environmental preservation, "K"
Line and the shipyard both understand that they share a common responsibility,
and take an uncompromising approach. |
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| Construction superintendents supervising building of "K" Line
ships until completion |
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| When a new ship is built, we must examine a wide range of aspects, including
whether the ship's specifications conform to our intended use, whether
there are any problems with its operational performance and cargo handling
capability, whether the specifications comply with treaties and other rules,
and whether our "K" Line Standard Specifications are reflected
in the ship. It is thus extremely important to maintain close communication
with the shipyard that is actually constructing the vessel, and our construction
superintendents assume this important role.They check the construction
method and processes, confirm that equipment is installed properly, and
monitor the performance in a test run. A construction superintendent also
strives to improve the ship building process to ensure that the "K"
Line ship under construction will be delivered on schedule. |
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Establishment and Maintenance of "KL-QUALITY" |
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| Maintaining a high-quality ship management structure |
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| In addition to fulfilling our legal requirements, we have established KL-QUALITY as our original guidelines for quality management. Our ship inspectors regularly visit ships in our fleet at calling
part to check compliance with KL-QUALITY. Inspection results are reported to and shared with related departments. If there are any recommendations in the inspection, ship owners or ship management companies are asked to rectify them. In this way, we maintain and improve ship quality to ensure safe operation of our fleet. |
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| A containership under construction (fore side) |
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| Main engine being installed (the engine is assembled onboard) |
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| A containership under construction (aft side) |
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| Establishing Emergency Response Capability |
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Emergency Response Manual |
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| Expertise accumulated through drills |
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| In our Emergency Response Manual we have set out the actions we must take
in the event of emergency. We regularly conduct emergency response drills
to confirm the roles of staff members and departments. After the drills
we always discuss issues regarding the application of the manual at post
meetings to improve all functions in the drill. The Emergency Response
Manual contains the expertise we have accumulated through these drills.
Needless to say, however, it is important to operate ships safely day to
day to help ensure that we never have the opportunity to actually apply
the manual. |
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Emergency Response Drills |
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| Emergency response drill assuming a large-scale oil spill |
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In November 2011, we conducted an emergency response drill assuming a scenario in which our VLCC YAMATOGAWA had collided with a ferry in the Uraga Channel at the entrance of Tokyo Bay, resulting in physical injuries, an oil spill, and a vehicle fire on the ferry.
In the drill, based on the Emergency Response Manual, we set up an emergency response headquarters and then responded to the accident appropriately by studying measures based on information sent there. We responded to inquiries from outside the company and issued press releases. We also held a simulated press conference, after which we received comments from insurance companies, lawyers, consulting firms, and other experts. An accident like the one in this case study must never take place, but we continue to take steps to prevent accidents and to respond to emergencies based on the recognition that accidents are always a possibility. |
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| Emergency response headquarters |
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| Simulated press conference |
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| Efforts by the international community to eradicate piracy |
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| Pirates rampant in the waters off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of
Aden, and in the Arabian Sea have now expanded their scope to the Indian
Ocean, threatening the security of shipping routes connecting Asia with
the Persian Gulf and Europe. These pirates are different from those in
the Straits of Malacca and near the coast of West Africa who primarily
aim to steal money and goods. Their aim instead is to hijack ships and
obtain large amounts of ransom by taking the crew members hostage; and
they use ships they hijacked as mother ships for piracy over a wide area.
In response, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling
for uncompromising action against piracy. The International Maritime Organization
has also passed a resolution requesting that nations act to eliminate the
problem. Based on these resolutions, international naval forces currently
provide escorts for ships passing through the area, and aircraft from various
countries conduct patrols of the affected area. The international community
is also performing missions to recapture hijacked ships. |
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| Measures for ensuring safety of our ships that pass through the affected
area |
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| In addition to receiving escorts by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
and international naval forces, we take a variety of measures that give
top priority to our crew members' security. For example, we take shipping
routes that allow us to avoid attacks by heavily armed pirates. We also
prevent them from obstructing pirate's skiffs by sailing at high speed,
using high-pressure water sprinklers, and installing razor wire. Crew members
are made to wear bulletproof vests and helmets to protect themselves from
gunfire. For low-speed ships and ones with low decks, which are vulnerable
to pirate attack, our precautionary measures include avoiding affected
areas and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope at the south end of Africa. |
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| Area around the Gulf of Aden |
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| Developing Staff with Maritime Technologies and Training for Improving Skills |
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| "K" Line takes measures for developing maritime technical personnel
who can ensure safe navigation and cargo operations and for establishing
their career paths. For example, we foster crew members who navigate ships
and onshore office staff who work to ensure safe navigation and cargo operations
in daily ship operations. We have established a companywide crisis management
system. We have also developed maritime technologies required for new businesses. |
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| Development of Maritime Technical Personnel and their Career Paths |
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"K" Line Maritime Academy (KLMA) |
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| KLMA for developing maritime technical personnel and improving their maritime
technologies |
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| KLMA is the aggregate of maritime technical personnel training programs,
educational, training, and development programs including career path programs
and training facilities in Japan and overseas. At KLMA, we train maritime
technical personnel based on the KLMA Master Plan, designed to pass "K"
Line Group's many years of accumulated maritime technologies on to the
next generation. We thus strive to build an awareness of our safety standards,
safety in navigation and cargo operation, and environmental preservation,
improve maritime technologies, and pass them on to future generations.
To maintain and improve "security, safety, and reliability" -
the most important aspect of the "K" Line Group's activities
- we need to educate our human resources in ways that ensure onboard operations
including ship navigation are undertaken appropriately and that help eradicate
marine accidents which have great impact on society and the environment,
such as oil spills. To this end, our Group companies work together to foster
outstanding crew members. |
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Education and Training Aimed at Developing the Career Path |
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| A range of training programs, focusing on safety and the Environment |
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| At the KLMA, the education and training are undertaken in accordance with
the basic training matrix and in consideration of the type of job, career,
and other elements of each crew member. The pre-boarding trainings include
safety instructions and trainings on how to load and unload cargo and how
to handle the engine. While the crew members are onboard, they receive
onthe- job training from senior crew and dedicated instructors and teach
themselves using computer-based educational programs. After disembarking,
they also learn how to handle problems using a simulator and receive other
training to reinforce what they have learned and experienced onboard. When
crew members are promoted to more senior positions, they receive more advanced
training, including education in leadership and stress management, as important
skills for people in management positions. In this way, crew members master
the maritime technologies that will enable them to operate ships with an
emphasis on safe navigation and cargo operations and environmental preservation. |
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| The KLMA System |
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Acquisition of Latest Knowledge and Technology |
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| Using new technology |
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| Technical advances have led to, among many other changes, the computerization
of ship equipments, electronic control of engines, generation of higher-voltage
power by power generators to accommodate the increasing size of ships,
and the use of the Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS).
Accordingly, crew members these days are required to have new knowledge
and response capabilities. The ability to use such state-of-the-art equipment
is essential for ensuring safe navigation and cargo operations. Crew members
are required to use equipment properly and safely while onboard. We therefore
provide them with training to acquire the requisite knowledge and skills
in new technologies before they board the ship. This prevents confusion
onboard and ensures safety at sea. |
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- ECDIS displays;
- - electronic marine charts
- current ship position with GPS and of planned navigation routes
- other ships' information with radar, etc.
- dangerous areas such as shallows and warnings
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A conventional marine chart |
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| Expansion of business into the upstream energy-related business segments |
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| Energy resources such as oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), and liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG) are essential for our daily lives. In the energy-related
segments, "K" Line Group was formerly involved only in cargo
transport, which is called the downstream segment. We have now entered
offshore businesses, specifically the offshore development and production
of energy resources for the upstream energy-related segments related to
oil fields and gas field development and for the midstream segments represented
by production and refining. Our main businesses in these segments include
the Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) business, or drilling of oilfields
and gas fields, the LNG FPSO business, or offshore liquefaction and production
of natural gas taken from a gas field, the offshore support vessel business,
including installation of offshore development facilities and transportation
of materials for them, and the CNG carrier business, or transport of compressed
natural gas that is not liquefied. |
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| Maritime technologies specific to offshore energy development businesses |
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| Some of "K" Line's maritime technologies accumulated in its cargo
transport business are applicable to offshore energy development businesses.
Yet there are also technologies and know-how specific to offshore energy
development businesses. For example, specialist knowledge and experience
is required to operate the dynamic positioning system (DPS), which is used
to run drilling vessels, staying in the same position for long periods.
Other technologies specific to offshore energy development business include
drilling vessels, liquefaction of natural gas at LNG FPSO, towing by offshore
support vessels, and handling of anchors. We therefore need to recruit
and foster maritime technical personnel who are highly experienced and
who excel in these skills. |
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| Safety and environmental considerations and sharing of information |
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| Safety in navigation and cargo operation and environmental preservation,
which are always required in the cargo transport business, also need to
be considered in operating offshore energy development businesses. To prevent
accidents, we need to ensure safe operation from every possible perspective
and strive to master new technologies required for eco-friendly operation,
thereby establishing a system for safe navigation, safe operations, and
environmental protection. In entering a new business segment, we hold internal
seminars and briefings to share the knowledge, technologies, and information
needed to operate the business so they can be applied in future initiatives.
In this way, we strive to establish an integrated system involving upstream
to downstream segments of the energy development business. |
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| KL BREVIKFJORD offshore support vessel (front left), which is operating and offshore production facilities |
KL BREVIKFJORD offshore support vessel |
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| Offshore LNG production facilities |