Ship Management

Ship Management is fully integrated with fleet management, crewing, risk management and technology support.
As ships account for a substantial part of our total fixed assets, it is imperative that the fleet is managed and operated efficiently, assets are protected and values maintained.

Odfjell Ship Management manages all owned and bare-boat chartered vessels. As of the end of 2009 the Odfjell managed fleet consisted of 57 vessels.

Ship Management consistently develops a work culture capable of taking the safety performance to a higher level. For that purpose the organisation is further developed, such as by providing enhanced technical and marine superintendence capacities within the various groups (fleets), strengthening of our own cadet and training programmes as well as by close follow up of the defined key performance indicator programme.

The loyalty amongst our mariners and the changes implemented within Ship Management organisation in 2009 provides sound foundation for future performance. The continuous development of our shore team is considered a successful approach to ensuring more direct interaction between our ships and offices.

Odfjell Ship Management has personnel at offices in Bergen, Singapore, Manila, Subic Bay, São Paulo and Houston, which provide direct support to ships in regional trades as well as ships in the deep-sea fleet and also professional crew management.

SHIPS

The implemented ship maintenance programme ensures safe and efficient operation, a long useful life and high secondhand values. The maintenance strategy is developed in cooperation with Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is implemented through our computerised Planned Maintenance System supported by an in-house specialist team. A well structured technical project management ensures proper implementation of relevant rules and regulations as well as various ship performance improvements.

CREW

The safe operation of chemical tankers depends on highly qualified officers and crew. Our ships are mainly registered in Norway (NIS) and Singapore, and are primarily manned by Norwegian and Filipino mariners with long experience from chemical tankers. The Flumar fleet, which primarily are traded on the Brazilian coast, are manned with Brazilian mariners.

Odfjell pays considerable attention to recruiting qualified officers and crew and, at any given time, more than 200 Norwegian, British or Filipino mariners are normally employed as trainees or cadets.

Training of officers and crew is a key area to ensuring quality management. Odfjell allocates significant resources to
training. During the last years we have implemented major upgrades of Odfjell Academy located in Subic Bay and also at our Cadet campus at John B. Lacson Colleges Foundation in the Philippines.

RISK MANAGEMENT

Ship Management actively evolves use of Risk Management processes to maintain and improve our performance. Every year Odfjell carries out regular internal audits of all ships. Customers make inspections through the Chemical Distribution Institute (CDI) and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF). Periodical surveys are carried out by various classification societies, flag states and port states. DNV performs ISM Code inspections of our ships’ quality systems. When ships or offices report critical situations, accidents, non-conformances or possible
improvements through our Safety and Improvement Reporting System, proper response is prepared and corrective
actions implemented. We view this system as an effective tool in our work to increase safety and to prevent injuries,
damage and losses. During 2009 we have also increased our efforts in experience feedback to ships managed.

The implemented Key Performance Indicators have been actively measured and followed up during 2009. Our zero target to high risk accidents and high potential near accidents, spills, explosions and fires and collisions and groundings is unequivocally the most chanted KPIs in Ship Management and is our main focus.

Improvement of performance is achieved in a number of areas, in particular related to reduced Lost Time Injuries, improved near accident reporting, improved class rating and reduced unscheduled off –hire.

The initiative titled “Tanker Management and Self Assessment” (TMSA) introduced by the OCIMF, requires Ship Managers responsible for tankers to demonstrate the effectiveness of their management system. Odfjell Ship Management submitted higher level achievement for some of the TMSA elements in 2009 and has also put in place the processes to achieve the higher levels for more elements specified by the TMSA guide in 2010. The TMSA guide is considered to be a significant contribution to future improvement of the management of our vessels.