Cargo ship arriving at a port beside a pier under a clear blue sky.

Behind every safe voyage

We’re working with the shipping industry to make safety and crew welfare expectations clearer and more consistent for the people on board.

Life at sea has always required adaptability. Weather can change quickly. Voyage plans can shift. Crews are often far from home for long periods, working in an environment where the decisions made every day can affect the safety of everyone on board.

Today, the operating environment is becoming more complex, as routes, regulations and conditions continue to evolve. 

For seafarers, these changes can influence workloads, rest, communication with home, decision-making and daily routines on board. 

That’s why we’re focusing on the fundamentals: keeping people safe, supporting crew wellbeing, and working with industry partners to make expectations clearer and more consistent.

Group of seafarers wearing their work safety gears and posing for the camera.

Safety starts with crew wellbeing 

On board a vessel, safe operations depend on crews being able to make good decisions, speak up, stay alert and respond to changing conditions. 

That becomes harder when people are fatigued, disconnected or under pressure. It becomes easier when they are well-rested, supported by strong systems and confident that their concerns will be heard. 

Crew welfare is central to safe shipping. A safe vessel is not only one with reliable equipment and clear procedures. People on board also need the support to work safely, look after one another and return home well. 

We charter vessels to move the materials the world needs across global trade routes.  

That gives us both a responsibility and an opportunity to help lift standards beyond our own operations. But, we cannot do that alone. Our supply chain works best when shipowners, operators, managers and charterers are aligned on what safe, responsible operations look like in practice.  

Improving crew welfare requires shared expectations, practical action and a common commitment to the people who keep the industry moving. 

Together, we achieve more 

This is why we became the first major charterer to join the Dry Bulk Centre of Excellence, strengthening industry alignment around the Dry Bulk Management Standard (DryBMS). Through this membership, we’re strengthening our Designated Owners & Operators (DOO) program with the DryBMS to support a more unified and standardised approach to safety, welfare and operational performance across the global fleet. 
Bauxite loading onto ship at export facility, Weipa Operations

What is the Designated Owners and Operators program?

Our DOO program brings together owners and operators who share our commitment to improving safety, strengthening vessel management and supporting the people on board. 
By aligning the program with DryBMS, we can connect our expectations with a broader industry framework, reduce duplication and help create a more common understanding of what good looks like. 

Around half of our chartered voyages are now covered through the program. 

The aim is to reduce variability, make expectations clearer and help lighten the load for crews on board.
The focus is on how these standards work in practice. Rest hours on paper do not always prevent fatigue if sleep is disrupted. Connectivity policies do not help if access to family remains unreliable. Harassment and safety policies only work when people feel safe to speak up. Remote medical support only matters if it can be accessed when crews need it.  

For Jonathan, a fitter working on vessels operated by our long-standing partner Berge Bulk, the DOO program has helped reinforce the importance of safety on board. 

“Although we already have safety procedures onboard, the program helped to deepen our understanding and reinforced the importance of working safely, not just for ourselves but for our families as well, by prioritising both physical and emotional wellbeing,” Jonathan said.

Raising safety and welfare standards across dry bulk shipping

The next step is to extend this approach across the broader industry. 

That will require continued commitment from shipowners, operators, managers and charterers, and a continued focus on the people whose work keeps global trade moving. 

For us, this means continuing to collaborate with partners, listen to crew experiences and support practical actions that make a difference on board. It also means helping to build greater consistency across the dry bulk sector, so safety and welfare expectations are clear, credible and easier to apply. 

For crews, greater consistency means clearer expectations and stronger support on board.

Together, our DOO program and DryBMS help crews know what to expect and partners work towards the same standards. This can help move the industry from pockets of progress to broader, more consistent change.