Safety management system and service quality

The system is based on advanced methods for ensuring the effective and safe technical operation of vessels and vessel equipment as well as personnel management, approved in accordance with requirements of the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code), the ISO 9001:2015 (Quality Management System) and ISO 14000:2015 (Environmental Management System) standards, the Ship Safety Management System based on the ISM Code, as well as the requirements of the Flag Administration, and best industry practices.

Sovcomflot Group works with top-class charterers, leading oil & gas companies and traders who care about their reputation and are demanding in the selection of their carriers. To meet customer expectations, the company strives to exceed standard requirements, as evidenced by the results of external inspections. The best proof of Sovcomflot Group’s high level of reliability and qualification as a carrier is the willingness of key customers to sign long-term contracts with it. Today, SCF’s ships operate under time charter contracts with most of the major global oil & gas companies.

Sovcomflot devotes much attention to raising the safety culture, which directly influences the number of incidents attributed to human factor. The company continuously monitors safety culture dynamics in the fleet, conducts specialised training sessions for seagoing personnel based on modern sociology science research to develop adequate skills in responding to emergencies with ship equipment.

The safety culture in the SCF fleet is based on augmenting Russian maritime traditions. Respect for knowledge and the experience accumulated over decades provides an undisputed competitive advantage. SCF Group’s training centres in St. Petersburg and Novorossiysk, where SCF crews receive regular training and refresher courses, have become an important element in the system of professional development of marine personnel (for more details see section Professional development).

Sovcomflot Group’s specialists conduct research on the features of Arctic shipping, provide support for innovative projects, and participate in discussions of industry regulations as part of working groups. To improve the safety and efficiency of ice escort operations in the Arctic, Sovcomflot employees regularly conduct joint seminars with Atomflot for seagoing and onshore personnel. In addition, company specialists participate in meetings of the Maritime Safety Committee of the Russian Chamber of Shipping as well as meetings with representatives of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and develop manuals on ISM Code implementation in collaboration with the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS).

SCF Management Services (Dubai) responsible for the technical management of the SCF Group fleet is certified by Green Award - an international environmental organisation that was the first in the world to introduce an environmental assessment system for ships based not only on the ship’s technical characteristics, but also on the professional competence of the crew and management level. Sovcomflot Group has been participating in the Green Award scheme since 1996. Green Award auditors visit SCF’s ships and offices annually. Obtaining approval requires that international conventional requirements governing navigation safety, quality and environmental protection are not just met, but substantially exceeded. At the end of 2019, 17 SCF Group’s ships had Green Award certificates (which is dictated by the specifics of the region of operation).

Navigational safety and occupational health and safety issues are considered at various levels of Sovcomflot Group management. The Committee for Innovative Development and Technical Policy of the PAO Sovcomflot Board of Directors conducts a preliminary review, analysis, and elaboration of recommendations for improving the safety and service quality management system. The PAO Sovcomflot Executive Board has set up the Committee for the Safety of Navigation, Environmental Protection, Quality and New Technologies, which is responsible for establishing the areas, goals and objectives of the Group’s policy related to occupational health and safety.