BIG THEME ABOUT THE @SEA-@SHORE PLATFORM: Get even more out of the platform's many possibilities 6 Consultant Rolf Trap is always ready to assist onboard 8
Interview: Read how three shipping companies use the platform 14
Subscribe/unsubscribe:
Shipping company puts harassment and bullying on the agenda
All ESVAGT employees have completed an internal e-learning course on harassment and bullying. The course is now part of the shipping company's internal course catalog, which all new employees must also complete. The purpose of the course is, among other things, to make ESVAGT better at welcoming the young generation of seafarers.
By Troels Leth, SEA HEALTH & WELFARE
"If no one reacts to bullying and harassment, everyone suffers. It affects our trust in each other,"
Tina Halkjær Nielsen, Head of Recruitment & Training at ESVAGT.
ESVAGT.
Photo:
Physical safety is high on the agenda when a new employee has their first day at ESVAGT. The company's website already states that at ESVAGT, you must "do it safely. Or not at all."
Most recently, ESVAGT has also focused on mental health and well-being. The company's approximately 1,300 employees at sea and almost 100 employees ashore have completed an e-learning course on harassment and bullying, including a test entitled 'Bullying & Harassment Course.'
The purpose, explains Tina Halkjær Nielsen, Head of Recruitment & Training at ESVAGT, is to clarify that ESVAGT is a workplace where everyone should feel safe with each other.
"The course will also clarify how employees and managers should react if they experience bullying or harassment, and how they can report inappropriate behavior to, for example, their immediate manager or our whistleblower scheme," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen and continues
"Our employees are used to working in teams and know each other. When we articulate how we want to be as a workplace, it's easier for everyone to see when something is not as it should be. We want no one to be in doubt about how to react in case of bullying or harassment and how to report it safely."
An important point is that everyone is responsible for acting on inappropriate behavior.
"If no one responds to bullying and harassment, everyone suffers. It affects our trust in each other," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
The course, among other things, reviews all the company's policies in this area and describes how to report cases of harassment and bullying. It has a direct link to the ESVAGTs whistleblower scheme, and it describes how to always go to the captain, talk to a colleague, or contact the Crewing department.
"With this course, we also want to make it clear that we will crack down on all com-
plaints of harassment and bullying - we take it very seriously. At the same time, it's important to make it clear that we ensure that we hear all parties. It's also harassment not to treat someone properly who is accused of something," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
New colleagues get a good start, too All employees have a profile in the ESVAGT training portal, where the e-learning course Bullying & Harassment is one of several modules they must complete.
Many new employees are young and may not be familiar with working life on a ship. The course can also help give them a sense of security in knowing that the shipping company will take them seriously if they experience something out of line.
We borrowed heavily from SEA HEALTH & WELFARE and then shaped it into our own messages, says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
"We have a new young generation entering the labor market, who have a different threshold for when their boundaries have been crossed," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
Everyone must be part of the community
Tina Halkjær Nielsen points out that many ships still have a distinctly masculine community. This can mean that it's often difficult to talk to colleagues about how you're feeling, especially for young seafarers but also for many experienced ones.
"It's not just a problem for the individual if they come to work and are under pressure from home. If you're not feeling well, you might go and bite the others, and then you risk being left out of the community, and it's difficult to get back in," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
It can affect the entire ship, so the captain must be aware of unhappiness and talk to the person concerned.
"Managers need to be close enough to their employees to be able to ask about it. Mental health is essential, and the management is responsible for ensuring everyone on board is doing well. As a shipping company, we must support and take care of this," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
Positive feedback from employees ESVAGT has not asked employees to evaluate the Bullying & Harassment course specifically, but the feedback is positive.
"We have asked the seafarers about the course in various contexts and only received positive feedback. For example, one person said it's the best e-learning course we've done. Others have pointed out that it's useful, relevant, and easy to use. Of course, I appreciate that because it's a significant topic to focus on - throughout the maritime industry," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
Inspired by guides from SHW When ESVAGT decided to develop the e-learning course, Tina Halkjær Nielsen and her team sought inspiration from SEA HEALTH & WELFARE's materials and guides.
"We borrowed heavily from SEA HEALTH & WELFARE and then shaped it into our own messages," says Tina Halkjær Nielsen.
All Danish shipping companies with Danish-flagged ships are free to use SHW's materials, which cover a wide range of issues related to the working environment and welfare on board.
Facts:
ESVAGT has around 1,400 employees, of which 1,300 are at sea.
At sea, the vast majority are men. In the office, 40% of employees are women
Your ship's essential tool for a safe working environment
For almost 700 Danish-flagged ships, the @SEA-@SHORE digital platform is a crucial tool to ensure that everyday life on board is safe, and that the relevant legislation is followed to the letter. A recent update to the platform has improved usability and offers a brand-new format for risk assessments.
The conversation is buzzing in MOLSLINJENS' meeting rooms close to the quayside in Aarhus Ferry Port. Seven chief officers and captains from seven MOLSLINJEN ferries are gathered here for a company chemical board meeting.
The board is responsible for the company's chemical policy. During the meeting that day, they will also be introduced to the new version of the digital platform @SEA@SHORE, which SEA HEALTH & WELFARE has developed and maintains.
The seven colleagues will receive a briefing on how to get the most out of the new updates, which includes a brand-new risk assessment module with increased user-friendliness, a greater focus on accident prevention based on the STOP principle, and several technical improvements.
Everyone is looking at a large screen at the end of the room, where occupational Health and Safety consultant Rolf Trap from SHW presents a list of a small fraction of the many dangerous tasks to be performed on board a ship. The list illustrates how many risk assessments are required to ensure a safe work environment at sea that complies with the relevant legislation.
“Every time you chip off rust on the deck, paint, work at heights, work with hazardous chemicals, operate a hanging deck, or any other risky task, a risk assessment is required,” says Rolf Trap.
By Kirstine Thye Skovhøj, journalist
A ship typically has between 20 and 100 risk assessments, depending on size and type. In addition, depending on the size of the ship and its operations, many different types of chemicals are onboard.
All chemicals used must also be registered, and a Workplace Instruction (WI) must be prepared. Chemicals include both consumables and chemicals for cleaning and maintenance. It is important to ensure proper storage and handling of the chemicals on board, as many of them can be dangerous for the crew and the environment, says Rolf Trap.
“It is crucial that everyone is well instructed on how to perform a task safely and has access to the necessary information to handle the chemical safely. We have a great and important responsibility to focus on safety onboard daily. @SEA-@SHORE is an important tool for this.”
There are nods of agreement around the meeting table. They are all experienced users of the @SEA-@SHORE platform, which was developed to prepare and document risk assessments and chemicals and access the Seafarer’s Medical Guide and SHW’s many other guides in electronic format.
Nearly 700 Danish-flagged ships use the platform, a two-part tool that connects and communicates between ship and shipping company. The ship’s platform is permanently installed and works offline, while the shipping company’s portal is web-based. On land, at the shipping company, you can manage the company whitelist of chemicals used by the company’s ships, add and edit products in the main chemical database, and have a complete overview of the chemicals used in the company’s fleet.
For John Kim Jørgensen, who is responsible for chemicals on MOLSLINJEN and a chief mate, it is a big and important task to ensure that the crew is fully aware of the dangers associated with a particular task or the use of a particular chemical so they can perform the many tasks with peace of mind.
"Safety is a constant and important focus for us. The responsibility for crew safety is not just for the members of a ship's safety committee; they can't do it alone. Safety is a matter for the entire organization, and getting people to do their part is very important," says Christian Rasmussen, chief mate at LANGELANDSLINJEN.
What is @SEA-@SHORE?
@SEA-@SHORE is a digital platform that ships, and shipping companies can access with a license.
@SEA, the ship's access to the platform, is installed on a PC or server onboard and works offline; updated data and content are automatically downloaded when the vessel is connected to the internet.
In @SEA you create and maintain risk assessments and update the ship's chemical list. The safety organization finds knowledge and tools for tasks and meetings. @SEA was previously called Health and Safety at Sea and the SEAHEALTH program.
@SHORE is the shipping company's access to the platform. The shipping company can add and edit products in the the Chemical Database, and work with the company's whitelist. In addition, @SHORE can mirror ships' risk assessments and chemical lists.
Also available on the platform
Dayroom: Local language news from Denmark, England, Sweden, Germany and the Philippines. More to be added soon.
Hospital: Provides access to the mandatory Medical Guide for Seafarers.
e-Publications: Provides access to a wide range of health and safety publications and guides published by SEA HEALTH & WELFARE.
Consultant Rolf Trap from SHW is happy to visit ships and shipping companies to ensure all users at sea and shore get a good introduction to the platform's features.
Photo: Hannah Paludan Kristensen
What to do if you want to add a product to the ship's chemical list but cannot find it when searching the "Entire chemical database" or the product is listed as discontinued and therefore cannot be added:
If you cannot find or add your product using the search function, please contact your shipping company chemical products administrator or similar person and ask them to submit this product to our Chemicals Database. Please attach a copy of the Safety Data Sheet if you have it on board.
From binder to digital platform
John Kim Jørgensen, who has sailed on Danish ferries since 1991, remembers the days of large binders and folders full of tightly written papers with risk assessments, chemical descriptions, and documentation. Later, it all went on floppy disks, then CDs, and today, everything is digitized on SHW's platform.
"Before the platform came, you didn't really have anything to go on. There wasn't the same attention to safety and the work
environment as today. In that sense, you could say that the platform has been an important tool for improving safety. It helps to give you peace of mind," he says.
@SEA-@SHORE, formerly called Health and Safety at Sea and also known as the SEAHEALTH program, was launched in 1997. Rolf Trap explains:
“In the 1990s, it was decided that the documentation needed on a ship to work safely with chemicals should be digitized. This
digitalization means that ships today can keep complete track of chemicals and retrieve new and updated safety data sheets. Today, for example, preparing 'Workplace instructions' for all chemicals onboard is a legal requirement. The platform can generate this automatically with some ship-specific input that crews are responsible for entering.”
Continued on page 10-11
@SEA-@SHORE is, among other things, a tool to ensure an overview and registration of all chemicals on board.
Photo: Hannah Paludan Kristensen
Meet Rolf Trap - your helpful @SEA-@SHORE wingman
You may already be using the new version 7+ , need help getting started, or have great ideas on how to improve one of the platform's features. Whatever the case, you can always contact Rolf Trap, the Occupational Health and Safety Consultant and Specialist, at @SEA-@SHORE.
Rolf Trap has a background as a Navigational Officer and has been employed as a consultant at SEA HEALTH & WELFARE since 2022. He has a clear ambition to get everyone off to a great start on the updated platform.
"I will help you get started. It often starts with a call and a follow-up on Teams. If several ships are involved, we can even arrange for me to come out and hold a workshop at the shipping company or in port. We know it's important to get off to a good start and immediately understand the platform's structure and functions. Ultimately, it's about safety for the crew - and if you invest in getting it right from the start, you'll get there faster," says Rolf Trap and elaborates:
"Many people find that getting started with the new risk assessment module that comes with the update can be a lot of work. My advice here is to reach out to me. Let's look at the task in smaller chunks so it doesn't seem overwhelming."
Reach out to Rolf - together, we strengthen @SEA-@SHORE If you ask Rolf Trap what is unique about the @SEA-@SHORE platform, it is that the platform is tailored to the shipping companies and ships that use it.
"At SEA HEALTH & WELFARE, we are not IT experts. Fortunately, we have a skilled partner responsible for the platform's technical aspects. However, we are experts in occupational health and safety at sea and have very close contact with our members. This close contact enables us, together with you, to constantly ensure
that the platform considers legislation, user-friendliness, and the real world in which our members operate on ships and land. Therefore, I would also like to emphasize that I always want to hear from you. Because when I hear from you, we can take your always good input and constantly improve the platform so that it works in your everyday life," says Rolf Trap and points out:
"We hope everyone aboard a ship will use the platform at some point. On most ships
today, typically, the officerers onboard and the safety committee use it. But the more people involved in drawing up risk assessments, e.g., the greater the focus will be on the work environment and safety on board."
CONTACT ROLF TRAP
You can contact Rolf Trap directly by email: rtr@shw.dk or tel. +45 2274 8459. If you need technical support for the platform, you can write to support@shw.dk.
Rolf Trap, Consultant and Specialist, SEA HEALTH & WELFARE
Photo: Hannah Paludan Kristensen
"In the new version 7+, there is a strong focus on including the STOP principle as a central part of the prevention process," says Rolf Trap.
Photo: Hannah Paludan Kristensen
A dance between development and functionality
The platform, which is mainly financed by the health and safety contribution paid by all SHW members, has undergone extensive modernization since 2023. Since it is run on relatively limited funds, SHW has prioritized modernizing and updating one module at a time.
In June 2024, the first module was ready; a new risk assessment module was launched along with a brand-new synchronization engine to handle the large amount of data required to exchange the latest risk assessments and update the large number of Safety Data Sheets used on board.
"A big part of running and operating a digital platform is to constantly ensure that the program can function regardless of what changes occur in the operating systems of the computers used by the members and the internet browsers used. The platform is browser-based, requiring constant adaptation to ensure that it works technically and adapts to the changes that internet browsers such as Chrome and Edge are constantly implementing. In addition, an application like Windows is also constantly releasing updates, and this also affects the use of our application," explains Rolf Trap and elaborates:
"This means it's an endless dance between wanting to develop new functionality and keeping the existing platform robust and functional."
Strong focus on effective prevention using the STOP principle
With the new risk assessment module, a new format for creating risk assessments was launched. A format based on the STOP principle, with a greater focus on long-term effects and thorough instruction to the worker.
"There are many ways to make a good risk assessment, but it's always important to keep it specific and describe why an injury or accident may occur — e.g., an eye injury due to splinters and dust. The Safety Committee's job is to ensure that the risk assessments also reach the Ordinary Seaman 'OS' who performs the task. We know that good safety instruction reduces the number of accidents," says Rolf Trap and elaborates:
"In the new version 7+, there is a strong focus on including the STOP principle as a central part of the prevention process. This way, you can work through the possibilities of removing the risk at the source, substituting the hazard with something less dangerous, and finally, if there are no other technical or organizational options, using, for example, personal protective equipment.”
Ready to update to version 7+ ?
Here's what you need to know before you get started:
• Version 7+ requires you to uninstall old versions of the program and install the new version from scratch
• Old data is not deleted when uninstalling but is carried over to the new program. We always recommend that you backup your data first
• Check that your current risk assessments have a revision date sometime in the future. These will eventually need to be redone in the new format. After an update, it will not be possible to move these dates forward.
• We can help you get started. Contact us for instructions on how to use the new version by phone or perhaps a workshop, free of charge.
An essential tool for taking shared responsibility
John Kim Jørgensen, who sails the FANØ FERRY, finds that the platform is a good and important tool in everyday life to create a shared focus on safety on board.
"It requires a continuous effort to work with the safety culture on board, and we focus on safety daily. We need to pay attention to safety all the way around. We must help each other daily, and the platform is a concrete tool for that - it's a working tool for keeping track of safety and, for example, protecting yourself in the best possible way. It's easy to pull out a risk assessment, sit down with your crew, and go through the work task. The risk assessment is an important document with instructions for those who will perform the work, and there is no doubt that good
instructions reduce the number of accidents," he says.
The Danish Maritime Authority conducts inspections on Danish-flagged ships to ensure that applicable regulations for safety, working environment, and chemical handling are complied with. The visits are part of the agency's supervisory work and aim to protect both the health and safety of crew members and the environment.
Depending on where it sails, a Danishflagged ship may be inspected by both the Danish authorities and the authorities of other countries. The inspections typically focus on work conditions, chemical handling, and general safety.
"When you choose to use the platform for chemical management and risk assess-
ments, you comply with the Danish Maritime Authority's legislation in this regard," says Rolf Trap.
A tailor-made platform that evolves with its users
When upgrading to the new updated version 7+ of the platform, you will experience a number of new technical improvements in addition to the new risk assessment module. Among other things, the brandnew synchronization engine ensures fast access to Workplace Instructions and the latest Safety Data Sheets for added chemicals.
In addition, the risk assessment process has much more freedom of choice. Before, you were bound to fill specific fields and make many choices; you can now select and deselect what is relevant.
"You will notice that the platform has a new look and greater user-friendliness. Many improvements are based on input from those who use the platform daily. We want to be in close dialogue with shipping companies and seafarers about how to develop and optimize the platform further. We also want to help new users get started - brand new or just updating to the new version. With close contact with those who use the platform daily, we ensure that the platform is constantly adapted to your experiences and needs. That's the strength of the platform. It molds itself to those who use it."
Did you know about @SEA-@SHORE?
• There are approximately 4,700 active products registered in the chemical database used in the Danish merchant fleet
• The start-up fee is DKK 5,000 per ship to access the platform. Included in this price is unlimited use and support. Foreign-flagged ships must pay an annual fee of DKK 7,500
• Around 700 ships from 82 different shipping companies currently use the platform, ranging from tugs to large passenger ferries
• 95% of users are Danish-flagged ships
• SHW is responsible for all platform operations and development, working with an external IT developer and chemistry specialists at DHI Group.
Can your team win the trophy at Maritime Football?
The date for the next maritime football tournament in Svendborg is set. Get your boots, skins, and teammates out and sign up for a fun day in Svendborg, where there is usually a fierce battle for the trophy and glory.
We hold the next Maritime Football tournament on; at FC Kurant's fields in Svendborg.
September 16, 2025
The maritime schools, ships, and shipping companies can field all the teams they want. A team consists of 7 players + 2-3 substitutes. Feel free to bring the audience - they give a tailwind to the players on the pitch.
Read more and register your team on our website: shw.dk/football
We look forward to seeing you at football in Svendborg.
"We can help develop the new version"
MAERSK uses @SEA-@SHORE on their 124 Danish-flagged ships. MAERSK will update to the latest version in spring 2025, says Lasse Christian Sørensen, Marine Specialist, Fleet Safety, MAERSK.
By Kirstine Thye Skovhøj, journalist
What is your experience with the @SEA-@SHORE platform?
"I've been sailing for 22 years; my last time out was less than a year ago. So, I have a lot of experience using the platform onboard. MAERSK has been using the platform for several years."
What was your main focus when working with the platform while you were at sea?
"It has primarily been on the chemical database and Safety Data Sheets. I've mainly sailed ships that haven't arrived in Europe, so it hasn't always been possible to find the products we had access to in the database. I like the idea that you have approved products from home registered on the platform, which helps the ships as much as possible. But the problem is if you buy a product somewhere far from Europe that is not on the whitelist. That's why I've also been involved in adding several products from other parts of the world.”
How have you experienced working with the platform on board?
"It's important to make an effort to engage those colleagues with a foreign background who don't immediately understand the value of a risk assessment for chemistry, for example. On a ship with 12 floors, there might be a crew member on each floor
responsible for registering products used as part of the cleaning on that floor. It may seem unnecessary to some to log all the products used, but it has to be done to comply with legislation and safety procedures."
Can you give an example of how work with the platform is done on board?
"We have a binder in each room with data sheets and workplace instructions - for example, in our paint shop - and someone is responsible for checking them once a month. We don't have computers everywhere where you can log in. I actually think that system works very well. I don't envision that we're going to have tablets everywhere. These binders work well; we have descriptions and information about the chemicals close to where we work."
MAERSK has recently transitioned to the new and updated version 7+ of @SEA-@SHORE. Which challenges will this transition present?
"We have an incredibly solid infrastructure, and the transition was a relatively easy process because we constantly install and update programs on our ships. With support and good informaterion from shore the update was downloadet on all our ships witout major problems. We have 124 ships, and of course, the ships knew that
this task had to be prioritized. There will be some manual work on the ships to transfer data to the new version, but they are used to maintaining it. There will be a lot about the datasheets, especially everything on the positive list, that can be moved directly over."
The fact that there is a news feed in the new update will have a natural attraction and be a motivation to move to the latest version of the program. There are a lot of people who want to keep up with the news. With so many ships, you will naturally have many captains and chief engineers using the platform. There will always be some enthusiasts who are very passionate about it. Those passionate about such an update are good at sharing their thoughts. In this way, we also want to help develop and improve the new version."
Do you have any suggestions on how we can further develop @SEA-@SHORE?
“I saw in the new version a catering module with a cookbook. It would be smart to share recipes across ships and even shipping companies. We strongly focus on mental health, and we know that chefs play an important role in the food they serve on board. It would be great to get some inspiration.”
With
the new tool Accident
Investigation, you gain valuable insights into the causes of accidents and near misses.
Accident Investigation is now ready. It is a simple and effective tool that ensures a thorough investigation process for accidents and near misses. The tool is published as a booklet with a step-bystep guide.
The booklet contains 10 sets of questionnaires that can easily be carried anywhere on the ship. Each set can be torn out of the booklet when writing a report, allowing the booklet itself to be used multiple times.
A thorough and effective investigation of accidents or near misses is crucial and should always take place. This ensures maximum learning so that similar accidents can hopefully be avoided in the future. We have developed Accident Investigation as an aid to the Safety Organization on board when clarifying inadequate procedures, risk factors, and other learning points.
The Accident Investigation tool is suitable for identifying factors that have influenced the accident or near miss and preventing similar incidents in the future. It is not an alternative to mandatory accident reporting but serves as a voluntary supplement.
SEA HEALTH & WELFARE continuously works to improve our occupational health and safety materials. Find the latest versions in the "Safety Committee" module or in "E-publications" in the @SEA software on board, or visit www.shw.dk.
Lasse Christian Sørensen, Marine Specialist, Fleet Safety, MAERSK
Photo: Private
“The platform serves it all - both chemicals and risk assessments”
By Kirstine Thye Skovhøj, journalist
At SCANDLINES, which operates the Rødby-Puttgarden and Gedser-Rostock ferry routes between Denmark and Germany, Mette Lyskov Johansen, who works with occupational health and safety, and Morten Elkjær, who works with chemistry, have solid experience with the @SEA-@SHORE platform. The shipping company uses the platform in two Danish ports and on four Danish ships.
Why do you use the platform?
“We have our entire risk assessment database and chemical database gathered on the platform, so we have control over handling our chemicals. In addition, all our health and safety representatives on the Danish ships and ashore use the platform to access chemical documentation and other topics such as physical work environment, psychological work environment, crisis management, etc,” says Mette Lyskov Johansen.
How does the platform play a role in the work onboard?
“We have a lot of different work areas on the ships - from engine rooms to catering, where they cook, to retail, where they sell perfumes and, for example, also have a warehouse where the platform is used. Risk assessments are prepared based on their current tasks and processes,” says Morten Elkjær.
“The main function of risk assessments is to highlight the risks associated with a task. Of course, we must be at the forefront of these to prevent accidents. Specifically, each ship has a tailor-made platform organized into different work areas. They can click in, find the risk assessment for their work process, and read through it before starting a task. Of course, sometimes things happen that you might not have anticipated, and we update the risk assessment afterward,” adds Mette Lyskov Johansen.
How has the new version 7+ @SEA-@SHORE been implemented?
"We have created completely new risk assessments, where it is possible to describe the long-term impacts in the new version. We have used the transition as an opportu-
nity to update everything. It's been a lot of work. One of our skilled colleagues, in particular, has put a lot of work into the implementation. We have four ships and about 60 risk assessments per ship, and it's constant work to revise them - we do it at least every three years. Of course, revisions are made along the way if there is an accident or near miss," says Mette Lyskov Johansen.
Why is it so important to focus on longterm effects, which it is now possible to describe in the new risk assessment module in @SEA-@SHORE?
"It's a constant focus for us to train our entire safety organization to consider the long-term impacts. When they go into the new version and read a risk assessment, they realize that the risk is not just that you can fall off a ladder and break an arm or a leg, for example. There may also be some long-term risks that won't appear for another 30 years. That's why it's so important to have a common focus on the long-term effects. It's also about preventing the longterm effects," explains Morten Elkjær.
"We have trained our entire Danish safety organization on using the new module and dealing with the long-term effects. The long-term effects are highlighted when you read a risk assessment in the new version. This could, for example, be the information that you not only risk an immediate injury but also risk developing arthritis," says Mette Lyskov Johansen.
In what way have you been involved in the development of the new updated platform?
"We've been test subjects and part of the development process for the past two years. We've been allowed to request what
we want to see. I'm a huge fan of the fact that we have everything served up in the platform - chemicals and risk assessments - and that adding PDF files is possible. It's just a click, and it's all there. It's also easy to find advice and guidance on ergonomics, interior design, and crisis management, among other things. It's a really good program, and SCANDLINES became involved when it was first introduced. Back then, we wrote the risk assessments by hand and filed them in archive folders. Later, they were put on floppy disks, then CD-ROMs, and today we're in a completely different place," says Mette Lyskov Johansen.
What do you want to see in terms of updates to the platform in the future?
We have four German ships and German personnel, so we would like to see one large common German database for both chemicals and risk assessments. We also want the platform to be easier to access on the ships. Today, a password or login is required to use the platform, and we see this as a stumbling block for those who cannot remember their password or are not registered in the system. It would be better if there were a common login and only administrators had access to edit," says Morten Elkjær.
"It's an advantage that we have a direct line to consultants in SEA HEALTH & WELFARE"
STENA REDERI operates STENA LINE and STENA RORO. STENA REDERI uses @SEA-@SHORE on seven ROPAX vessels.
By Kirstine Thye Skovhøj, journalist
Why do you use SHW's platform?
"We have used the platform for at least 10 years and use it on seven ROPAX vessels. It's an obvious choice for us as it's included in the starter package on new Danish-flagged ships. It is cheap to run and better than other platforms. It's also a great advantage that there is direct contact with a Health and Safety Consultant at SHW for questions about chemicals, for example."
How do you approach updates to new versions?
"We haven't updated to the new version yet. The ships themselves are responsible for updating the information. The easiest thing for us would be if we got a reminder to update when we open the program on the ships."
What benefits do you see in the latest version?
"It's positive that the new risk assessment module focuses on long-term effects. The platform also allows us, as a shipping company, to have an overview of which chemicals we have. There may be some chemicals
you don't want to use according to a definite policy."
How does the platform contribute to a more effortless and safer everyday life on your ships?
"It's a very complex industry we're in, with many regulations and many safety considerations. The platform gives us an important overview of the safety assessments and workflows on board. For example, it can be difficult for those on board, mates, or engineers to familiarize themselves with the many legal requirements and work environment assessments.”
“However, with the platform, you have a tool to orient yourself and ensure that you comply with the legislation when you use it. For example, you can quickly check whether a chemical meets the legal requirements. Sometimes, questions arise, and it's an advantage that we have a direct line to the consultants at SHW who can provide advice in this area. It's impossible to follow developments in chemicals on your own."
Lars Bjørn Thorkilsen, Marine Superintendent, STENA REDERI.
Photo: Private
FOCUS ON GETTING AROUND SAFELY ON YOUR VESSELS
New guide to help shipping companies and seafarers improve safety on board and prevent injuries.
NEW GUIDE
We will send the guide to Danish-flagged vessels in 2025. You can also buy the guide in Danish and English at www.shw.dk/webshop.
If you need inspiration or sparring, contact consultant Peter K. Petersen or Head of the Department Torsten Mathias Augustsen by telephone at +45 7240 2610 (press 3)
K. Petersen
Augustsen
Peter
Torsten Mathias
Photo Competition for Seafarers 2024
59 photographers participated with 298 images in this year's Danish photo competition. This year's judges were Kim Eggers, Chief Mate at Royal Arctic Line, former photography teacher Jens Kostrup, and photographer Olle Thorup.
The judges were pleased with this year's selection of images and said:
“We were pleased to see photos with crew members depicting life on board, both during working hours and after hours. Overall, the quality of the pictures is high, and they have varying subjects. Geographically, the photos also range widely. You experience the diversity of maritime life.”
This is the second year we have found winners in the four categories: Picture of the Year, Life on Board, Nature, and Maritime Environment. In addition, a photo that stands out in the judges' opinion is chosen.
This year, we have received photos from previous contributors, and new ones have been added. This year we have also received images representing the educational en-
vironment, and we are pleased that the interest in documenting life at sea with all its facets is also present in the next generation.
SEA HEALTH & WELFARE thanks all participants for the great photos, which you can see on www.shw.dk. We hope the photos will inspire others to participate in the 2025 competition, to which you can already submit photos now.
This image won the 2024 Seafarers Photo Competition
Photo: Frederic E.H. Vernersen
The Winners
Photo of The Year & Winner in the Life on Board Category:
“Lady and the Tramp”
Photographer: Frederic E.H. Vernersen, 4th Officer on the GEORG STAGE
The Jury says:
We have chosen “Lady and the Tramp” because it combines great technique with a lovely atmosphere. The photo makes you smile because it is filled with joy, spreading a positive mood to the viewer.
Prize: A gift worth DKK 4,000 sponsored by (The Danish Maritime Fund) + a gift worth DKK 1,000.
Winner in the Maritime Environment Category: “The Meeting”
Photographer: Flemming Hemdorff, Chief steward on the GEORG STAGE
The Jury says:
The photo is a dramatic clash of eras—new and old. It invites a conversation about the new and the old: What is beautiful, and what is ugly? What is sustainable, and what is not?
Prize: A gift worth DKK 1,000
Winner in the Nature Category: “The World at my Feet”
Photographer: Rune Pedersen, Chief Engineer on the MALERAQ ARCTICA
The Jury says:
The photographer has “seen” a breathtaking “picture” he wants to share with the rest of us. We are high up and experience a fantastic perspective. Upon close inspection, the small stones at the photographer's feet become houses in a Greenlandic settlement. It all becomes possible in the clear Arctic light.
Prize a gift worth DKK 1,000
Winner in the Joker Category
– a picture that stands out from the rest: “Tight Quarters”
Photographer: Esben Fræer, 3rd engineer on the MALIK ARCTICA
The Jury says:
The machinist crawled into hiding. Is he napping or working? And if so, what is he doing? This image calls to the imagination—what's going on here?
Prize: A gift worth DKK 500
Winner in the Nature Category: “The World at my Feet” Photographer: Rune Pedersen,
Winner in the Maritime Environment Category: “The Meeting” Photographer: Flemming Hemdorff, Chief
Photo of The Year & Winner in the Life on Board Category: Photographer: Frederic E.H. Vernersen
Nordic Photo Contest 2024
Sweden again took first place in the Nordic Photo Contest for Seafarers.
Ship's cook Jörgen Språng took this year's winning photo, a picture of his colleague Conrado taken from an unconventional angle.
Throughout the year, the national organizers (in Denmark, SEA HEALTH & WELFARE) receive photos from seafarers on board Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Icelandic ships. Once the national competitions have been held, the 15 best images from each country go on to the Nordic Seafarer Photo Competition. In 2024, 143 seafarer photographers submitted a total of 859 images.
The Nordic competition is held in turn in the Nordic countries, and this year, Iceland hosted the competition. The organizing country provides competent judges, and this year they were Þórhallur Jónsson, a professional photographer in Akureyri, and Sigfús Ólafur Helgason, a former fisherman, and enthusiastic photographer with a special interest in the history of fishing vessels in Iceland.
There are prizes for 1st to 5th place, and we thank this year's sponsors: Ulykkesforsikringsforbundet for Dansk Søfart, Denmark, Sjöfartstidningen, Sweden, Sjøfartsdirektoratet, Norway,
Félag skipstjórnarmanna, which publishes the magazine Sjómannablaðið Víkingur in Iceland, and Finnlines, Finland.
Winner of The Nordic Photo Competition for Seafarers 2024: ”Above Conrado”
Photographer: Cook Jörgen Språng, MT BITFLOWER, Sweden
Jury statement:
A man at daily work, captured from a fun perspective. The color combination
2nd place: "Deicing"
Photographer: Chief Engineer Staffan Ahlstrand
of yellow, red, and, not least, the sailor's headdress lends the image a special touch. Exemplary image structure.
2nd place: "Deicing"
Photographer: Chief Engineer Staffan Ahlstrand, IB IDUN, Sverige
Jury statement:
The photo is not technically perfect. Slightly out of focus. But the harshness that shines from the ship and men captures
Winner of The Nordic Photo Competition for Seafarers 2024: ”Above Conrado” Photographer: Cook Jörgen
the eye and sends a message to us who live in the land. Being a fisherman is not always easy. That's the story of this cool photo.
3rd place: "Funeral"
Photographer: Bosun Daniel Möllerström, NJORD VIKING, Norway
Jury statement:
This photo is full of life. The men stand in the middle of the sparks. The struggle with the chain is clearly difficult, but people must know how to save themselves at sea. The composition of the photo is very good.
4th place: “Networking”
Photographer: AB Davíð Már Sigurðsson, DRANGEY, Iceland
Jury statement:
A sharp and concise photo. High-quality environmental portrait, technically very well executed, and exemplary photo composition.
5th place: "Icebergs through the Valve”
Photographer: AB Andreas Wolden, KRONPRINS HAAKON, Norway
Jury statement:
A sharp and concise photo. High-quality environmental portrait, technically very well executed, and exemplary photo composition.
5th place: "Icebergs through the Valve” Photographer: AB Andreas Wolden,
3rd place: "Funeral" Photographer: Bosun Daniel Möllerström
4th place: “Networking” Photographer: AB Davíð Már Sigurðsson,
BOOK TIPS FOR 2025
Pondering what to read in 2025? To help you, we have picked some very promising titles and reviews from TIME magazine’s “The 100 Must-read books of 2024.”
You can borrow the titles from Libby, the electronic library. If you’d rather read a printed book, feel free to write to the library, and we’ll send it to you.
1 / Absolution
By Jeff VanderMeer
This fourth installment of the author’s Southern Reach ecological-horror trilogy (Annihilation, Authority, and Acceptance) is both a prequel to these works and a standalone story. Set 20 years before the original books, Absolution focuses again on the Southern Reach, a secret government agency tasked with studying Area X, a stretch of Florida marsh colonized by a strange presence. That presence manifests as a combination of theoretical scientific mysteries and literal oddities. Scientists who enter are either driven mad or transformed. Despite its title, Absolution resists offering neat answers to the mysteries that remained at the end of the original series. (Review by TIME Magazine).
2 / How to End a Love Story
By Yulin Kuang
This novel is a sorrowful yet fiery romance about learning to forgive. Thirteen years after losing her younger sister, Helen Zhang is still trying to work through her grief. The 30-yearold cynic has become a successful novelist whose Young Adult book series is being turned into a TV show. She has landed herself a seat in the writer’s room, where she meets Grant Shepard, her popular former classmate who was involved in the accident that led to her sister’s death and who, like her, still bears the scars of that tragedy. As Helen begrudgingly gets to know Grant, she discovers she has much more in common with the man she’s supposed to despise than she’d like to admit. (Review by TIME Magazine).
3 / Lies and Weddings
By Kevin Kwan
Fans of Kevin Kwan’s fiction always look forward to rolling their eyes and laughing out loud at his ungodly rich, misbehaving characters. In this book, we follow Rufus Leung Gresham, a viscount who stands to inherit his family’s title and fortune and the people in his world across the globe, from Hong Kong to London to Hawaii and beyond. Only, it turns out, there is no Gresham fortune—just massive debt. His mother, a former supermodel, encourages Rufus to save his family from ruin by finding someone rich to marry, but that would mean ignoring his feelings for the girl next door. (Review by TIME Magazine).
2
4 / Playground
By Richard Powers
The subjects of this novel are two of the most pressing issues of our time: climate change and artificial intelligence. Todd Keane—an AI pioneer who founded the app Playground—is suffering from Lewy body dementia and is in the process of trying to record all his memories and accomplish the items on his bucket list. One of his idols is the legendary scuba diver and scientist Evelyne Beaulieu, and they intersect on an island in French Polynesian. Here, Beaulieu is researching an ocean ravaged by climate change while Keane and American investors are trying to transform the island into the floating utopia of their dreams. With AI innovations threatening to destroy traditional ways of life, the novel asks readers to consider how technology can render human lives as disposable as toys discarded on a playground. (Review by TIME Magazine).
5 / Your Utopia
By Bora Chung
This collection of short stories uses horror and humor to tackle the fate of humanity. Eight inventive tales offer an absurd look into a distant future occupied by aimless autonomous cars, lovelorn AI, cannibal coworkers, and forgetful humanoid robots. With a touch of melancholy, Chung explores advanced technology’s psychological and sociological effects on humankind while encouraging readers to imagine, as she writes in her author’s note, “a better world for both you and me.” (Review by TIME Magazine).
6 / Devil is Fine
By John Vercher
This gut-wrenching novel begins with its unnamed protagonist, a professor and author, having a panic attack on his way to his teenage son’s funeral. These attacks have become a common occurrence since the 17-year-old’s death. As have the one-sided conversations he started having with his late child. Days after the burial, he learns he has inherited a plot of land that was once a plantation from his estranged white grandfather. He goes to the place looking for a sale but finds himself convening with the ghosts of those buried on the grounds. In this haunting work of magical realism, the professor is forced to reckon with his family’s tortured past and parenting sins. (Review by TIME Magazine).
1
4
3
6
5 Need a Library Card? If you still don’t have a Library Card, write an e-mail with a 4-digit PIN to bibliotek@shw.dk