Maritime Compliance Management – “Acceptance”

 Did you know that vessel owners are required to manage rain run-off? That crewmembers are required to screen their shore-side bosses if they come aboard a vessel? That push-boats are required to have a bell of a certain size in case they anchor or run aground in the fog? This is only the tip of the regulatory iceberg. Some regulations seem so ridiculous that vessel owners have a hard time believing that they could be true, or that they will ever be enforced, or that someone won't come to their senses and make them go away. A common strategy used once a vessel owner becomes aware of a regulation is to call around to some friendly competitors to see what they are doing. They may end up convincing each other to adopt a "wait and see" approach. After all, the Coast Guard always gives 30 days to correct a deficiency, right? Some companies call the Coast Guard to ask about a particular issue, and because the Coast Guard person who answers the phone isn't familiar with the particular requirement, the company may say, "The Coast Guard doesn't even know about this," and use that as an excuse to do little or nothing to comply. This is not good.

Acceptance is the second component to maritime compliance management. This is where the company management "buy-in" discussion has its roots. If the company ignores a regulation, or does something half-way to at least look like it was trying and hope for the best, it will not be perceived as having bought in to the program by its employees.  Captains of vessels are charged with ensuring compliance with the majority of vessel regulations.  From a leadership standpoint, if the captain knows, or perceives, that the company is not taking a regulation or program seriously, why would they?  A basic principle of leadership is, "In order to be a good leader, you must first be a good follower."  That doesn't mean just doing what your boss says.  It applies to following all rules and regulations. If your company is having trouble getting captains to be proactive about compliance issues, examine your own company's attitude toward the regulations. Why would crews put forth an effort if they know the company thinks it's all "crap?" Unless a company accepts a regulation, for better or for worse, it will be plagued with problems over the long term.