Safety and Health Policy

• To establish safeguards against all identified risks to ensure safety at sea, prevention of human injury or loss of life and avoidance of damage to the environment in particular to the Marine Environment and to property.
• Protect the health and safety of its employees and ensure that their work will not adversely affect the health, safety and property of others
• Provide means and arrange to minimise and remedy harm and injuries from accidents that may occur
• Recognise that safety and health is a management responsibility
• Emphasise and focus on the importance of safety and health
• Provide all its employees with the information, equipment, necessary training and regular medical check-ups for them to carry out their work in a safe and healthy way
• GEM recognises that safety and health matters are a Line Management responsibility to be managed in the same way, and using the same techniques as other business parameters such as cost control or marketing

It follows therefore that all Departments and ships, under the direction of their Departmental Head or Master, must:

• Bring the Safety and Health Policy and any revision, to the notice of all employees under their control.
• Monitor operation and review safety and health procedures for which they are responsible to ensure they comply with the Safety and Health Policy. Actively encourage all employees to accept the principle that injuries and accidents at work can be prevented and to promote the high standards of safety and health consciousness, discipline and individual accountability that this principle demands
• Ensure that all accidents and hazardous incidents are fully investigated and remedial steps taken promptly to avoid recurrence
• Actively promote employee participation to observe measures to improve their health and safety at work
• Ensure that all contractors working under their direct control apply health, safety and environmental standards equal to their own
• Keep all employees and contractors appropriately informed of potential hazards which might affect them

From this, it follows that it is the duty of all employees to act responsibly to prevent injury to themselves, their colleagues and to property.