CAKE stands on four legs. These legs say something about what we regard as indispensable areas of focus:

• CARE
• AWARENESS
• KNOWLEDGE
• ENGAGEMENT

In this article we will take a look at the basis of this programme, and of how we would like to fill it.

Care: We understand this as taking responsibility. To take responsibility for one’s own safety and that of others. We think it’s about caring. We also understand it to mean being careful and aware in different work situations.

A good place of work is a central part of our HSE culture. To be caring and considerate towards our fellow workers, whether they are our leaders or colleagues, is something we are very concerned about. MCN may be one of the places of work in the North Sea where this is most systematised. We then think about on-site management, which we have practised for three years. We created this system to reduce absence from work. But we can also see that it has other effects. We have an expectation that on-site management also helps to improve the relationship between employees and their immediate superior. We also believe that on-site management strengthens the team spirit and sense of belonging to the unit, department or company as a whole.

The reason we have included care is because we know that our own safety is dependent on being seen by others. We are here thinking about two situations, and both involve being seen.

Sometimes we are mentally at home

First of all we expect that a good colleague, in many instances, has stopped a colleague in a dangerous situation, just because he or she cares about that colleague, and is attentive. But the other side of care concerns being seen in the wider sense. No one can be on top every day. When we have colleagues who can see one’s life situation, who knows you and who knows something about how you feel then and there, we have a much stronger foundation.

Most of those working offshore appreciate the unique possibility of being at home with the family for four consecutive weeks. At the same time there are many offshore workers who find it difficult to be away from the family for 14 days. And there are times when it’s especially tough. We know that many struggle with their outbound trip, when things aren’t as they should be at home. Those who then still go offshore, will in many ways be a safety risk. Good safety is about being there mentally, and not being mentally “at home”. We do not think that a good and caring colleague can sort out the problems at home. But we think it’s easier to be away from home when you have supportive colleagues.

Awareness: We understand this to be a combination of awareness and consciousness.

Awareness is a natural part of safe work practices. For us awareness is an attitude. It is an attitude to work, and it is an attitude to preventing incidents. Awareness is not only about collecting information; it’s also about using that information. And not least: It’s about reacting quickly enough.

We want to learn from our own experience. If we are to improve on what we do, it is important to have a system which enables us to collect what we have learnt. We have such systems. Then we have to focus on the use of the systems. We must ensure that all input is recorded and that it is adequately analyzed.

If we look at the incident-reporting system (RUH), there is no doubt that it is used a great deal. We see some differences between departments and units. This means that we must look more closely at how we report. It could be a question of knowledge, and in some cases it could be about minor adjustments. It is important that we report in the same way. When this is not the case, when we have different motives for reporting, the amount of data is weak. The incident-reporting system is systematised awareness.

The next level concerning awareness is about trust or climate. Do we have enough trust in each other? We often talk about the safety climate. A safety climate is something we ourselves have created, the culture we have created to allow each other to use this awareness.

Engagement: We understand engagement as the interest and participation employees show through their work. We also think that it is a question of flexibility regarding change, and the efforts that ensure that changes are the best possible.

If we look at our understanding of HSE culture, then the importance of engagement is emphasised. First and foremost because HSE culture is created while we are doing other things. Or in other words. HSE culture and work take place simultaneously, at the same place. When we next want to change, influence or strengthen our HSE culture, it must take place where ordinary work is being carried out. We can not sit on land and adopt a new HSE culture. But we can influence ourselves and others to gain new experiences, so that our perceptions about smart, stupid and correct are adjusted.

Engagement – and perhaps most important of all, local engagement is therefore one of the most important tools we have. We must ensure that all employees have numerous opportunities to impact on the way they work, and thereby also the possibility to influence the HSE culture.

Knowledge: Knowledge is that which allows us to perform our tasks. We believe that knowledge is a combination of skills, experience and learning which we are more or less aware of.

Maersk Contractors Norge AS is not a company which jumps at easy solutions. We believe in hard work and long-term gain. CAKE is not an easy-going campaign with posters and stickers as the most important tools. We want to base what we do on documented knowledge. This means we will do things we believe work, although they may at times be the most labour-intensive and most boring alternatives. We aren’t afraid of work. We believe it’s a question of solidity and doing what’s proper.

But it is not only the programme that is to be linked to knowledge. We want that the entire organisation should be aware of, and take care of, the knowledge that exists. MCN is an organisation of knowledge, which contains enormous amounts of both silent and more audible knowledge. That’s why knowledge is one of the four legs of CAKE.

Knowledge is a key ingredient within HSE. Sometimes knowledge about dangers is sufficient in avoiding them. At other times we have the knowledge, but we don’t use it. Or we disregard it. This is also part of knowledge in general: How do we use and respect knowledge?

The question is relevant when we look at how training is carried out on the units offshore. And especially when we look at how training of new recruits is carried out.

Silent knowledge

Try telling yourself how you have a shower. In detail. You will probably find it easier to do it than to explaining it. We think that a good deal of what we must know to function, in an optimum way offshore, is silent knowledge. Silent knowledge is just that: Silent. It is just there, we use it, but we will sometimes have problems explaining just what we do.

Some silent knowledge is acquired through our own experience. Other times we acquire knowledge by observing others. Offshore work is a random collection of procedures, skills, experience and practice. And there is probably just one way of learning all of it: By experience.

In Maersk Contractors Norge AS “learning by doing” is therefore the preferred educational principle. We want all employees - through CAKE – to be constantly more aware of the knowledge they have, and more aware of how we train new employees. The quality of the HSE culture is probably not any better than the quality of the training.