Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Ltd. today announced that the Japan Federation of Pilots' Association (JFPA) has presented its Best Quality Ship Award for fiscal year (FY) 2019 to two MOL-operated vessels: the bulk ship HAKUTAKA and the LNG carrier AL ZUBARAH.
The award was founded in 2003 to raise awareness of port and ocean environmental protection through safe operation of vessels and is presented to "excellent vessels from the viewpoint of pilots," as selected by the JFPA.
For the FY2019 awards, seven vessels were selected from among those requesting pilot operations at pilotage districts throughout Japan during the months of September and October. The two MOL-operated vessels were named as "especially excellent vessels." The awards recognize overall efforts on safe operation, ranging from crewmembers' exemplary performance of their tasks and thorough training related to bridge resource management (BRM), to a high consciousness of the need to maintain safe operation, completely maintaining the onboard chain of command centering on captains, establishing a cooperative system for pilots who guide the vessels, and proper maintenance of nautical equipment and boarding equipment.
The Japan Federation of Pilots' Association (JFPA) was founded by its predecessor Japanese Pilots' Association in 2007 when the Pilotage Law was revised and is comprised of 35 Pilots' Associations in Japan.
Bridge resource management (BRM) is a training program intended to ensure safe management by ship operation commanders such as captain and officers, by effectively using various resources available on the bridge. It enhances technical and human skills in bridge organizational management by making full use of teamwork to confirm status, convey information, recognize problems, plan solutions, and execute them.