NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
Greenland is a new work place for "Esvagt Don" and "Esvagt Connector" ESVAGT has performed jobs on summer cruises off the coast of Greenland in the first exploration drillings in a decade.
Combined with an increasing demand for oil, developments in technology have repeatedly changed the interest for performing exploration drillings. Technological advances and the cost per barrel of crude oil have for the first time in a decade made it interesting to perform exploration drillings off the coast of Greenland. "Esvagt Don" and "Esvagt Connector" have participated as standby and oil spill response vessels:
- We will be part of the preparedness with the rig "Stena Don" and the drillship "Stena Forth�, says John P. Mejer, Operations Manager in ESVAGT. The jobs will take place in the very short summer period, where Cairn Energy will drill four wells in an area where oil deposits have previously been found. At that time it was not possible to make a profitable business out of it.
- It is a very special area to work in for several reasons. Also, it is a very limited period in which it is ice-free so that you can work - from mid June to mid November at the best - and secondly, we also have to be aware of icebergs, he says.
Continues page 2
Editorial
First and foremost - thank you very much for the fine welcome. I have met many talented employees - and what has struck me most is the passion and engagement I find. Both onshore as well as offshore I have observed a huge interest in doing a good job focusing on safety and performing the job on time. These are very important qualities and the base for our success. At the same time it is important to maintain our position, and to secure our future success, we have to cultivate these qualities.
Throughout 2010 we have focused on cost. We will continue doing that. We have seen improvements on the standby market lately. There is however still uncertainty about what will happen to world economy. Most experts seem only able to agree on one thing - that it will take several years before we are back to normal. Again this year the ESVAGT fleet has expanded with the last two vessels of the C-type from the ASL Shipyard in Singapore "Esvagt Capri” and "Esvagt Christina”.
Both vessels went directly on contract even in a weak market. This again proves that the C-type vessels have sharpened the image that ESVAGT is known for. Once again - thanks to all of you - I am looking forward to working with you. n Søren Nørgaard Thomsen.
Continued from page 1 Moving icebergs A total of 20 ships are involved in the project, a Canadian company will monitor whether there are icebergs on the way to the locations where drilling takes place. If they are, you should first try to change their drift direction either by pushing or pulling them, and if you cannot do so, then you must quickly stop drilling and leave location. Some of the icebergs are so large that you cannot do anything about them - 10 million tonnes are not unusual. And then you have to move fast, says John P. Mejer. n
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Much focus on environmental safety Drilling in the Arctic region has great attention from world environmental organizations, and the first exploration drillings in Greenland the last ten years are no exception: - The Arctic is extremely sensitive to oil spills, says Thomas Fauerby, assistant chartering manager: - It is much more difficult to remove oil after an oil spill in such an area. When the weather is cold, the oil does not evaporate and must therefore be collected very carefully. The Arctic fauna is also very vulnerable which certainly makes the importance of the correct response even more important, he says. To ESVAGT the job off Greenland was very important as we will make the first experience in working in the Arctic region – experience from which we can benefit when going to work for ENI Norway in the Goliath Field in 2012: - The severe cold and total darkness half the year and constant light the second half of the year are very special conditions to work under. We must learn how people react under these circumstances, and we must identify any defect in our equipment. The experience becomes very important for the Goliath operations, and it gives the job off Greenland another dimension, he points out.
NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
Dialogue to make ESVAGT better The liaison committee is the forum where we negotiate on anything but wages and employment conditions. Here you meet to make ESVAGT a better place to work. Does the choice of TV package mean something in your everyday life? Ask a football fan in the Champions League season, and the answer will be quite clear. Of course it means something what is on and it means something in particular when you are on a standby vessel in the middle of the North Sea far away from the nearest Blockbuster. The composition of television packages is just one of the areas that the committee looks at. The liaison committee is the forum where management and employees in ESVAGT talk about everything else than the hourly wage, agreements or similar. Diet and exercise, wellbeing, stop smoking, TV programmes, extra net - all the things that make everyday easier – that is the task of the liaison committee. Claus Hangaard Sørensen is chairman of the liaison committee and a ship’s assistant on "Esvagt Caroline". He sees the committee as a very good mouthpiece between on- and offshore staff and management: - It may be far from offshore to the office in Esbjerg. The committee is a mouthpiece that makes the distance a little shorter, says Claus Hangaard Sørensen.
Makes a better work place The mouthpiece works both ways. It is not only the employees who use the committee to get in contact with management – also the dialogue from onshore to offshore may benefit from it: - When the financial crisis was at its highest, the liaison committee was asked to find out how people felt we could cut down in the best way. Dialogue is better than dictate when we have to cut down, says the chairman. In everyday life it is the collaborative role that the committee works with. Everything that makes life easier, simpler and safer: - It is a good forum because it is not about wages and collective agreements. We only talk about what we all share – i.e. having ESVAGT as a workplace and how to make it even better, says the chairman. When Claus Hangaard Sørensen became chairman, he wrote to his colleagues in order to highlight what the committee's tasks were and were not: - It helped a lot, but we are still approached by people who want higher wages or will complain about a mileage allowance. We disregard that kind of comments because they do not belong in the committee.
The issues are referred to representatives and spokesmen. Some topics of course relate to earnings and employment, that is obvious, but people have a very good feeling of what to contact the committee about, says the chairman who also is fine with being responsible for some soft values: - In some ways they are soft values, but they are not unimportant values, he says. Soft values That the liaison committee does not discuss agreements and hourly wages, but soft values is perfectly fine with Ole Ditlev Nielsen, COO in ESVAGT: - The purpose of the committee is to make ESVAGT an even better place to work for our 600 employees. The committee has focused on well-being, safety and to make everyday life better. We recognize that it is the soft things that are important to make a job optimal and that this part of business also must be developed, he says. n
FACTS: The liaison committee consists of 10 persons and has 2-3 meetings annually. The chairman is always an employee, and all ESVAGT’s representatives or spokespeople are born members of the committee.
Biking to the office ESVAGT’s biking employees won a gift token to beef and vegetables. This year the campaign “We bike to work in May” also had participants from ESVAGT. Not many of our 600 employees have the possibility of biking to work. For the 34 employees working ashore, it is only possible for a few of them to go to work by bike. But many of the onshore employees participated which we are rather proud of:
- We have many employees living far away from the office and they are not able to go to work on a bike. But about 50 per cent of the onshore personnel have the possibility and of these 11 people have chosen to participate, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen, HSEQ Manager.
The 11 participants each received a gift token of 200 DKK to Jensen’s Beefhouse and another one of 100 DKK to a greengrocer in Esbjerg. n
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New CEO in ESVAGT Søren Nørgaard Thomsen has a global vision and the heart in Jutland. He looks forward to seeing ESVAGT’s spirit grow abroad. It is quite odd that Søren Nørgaard Thomsen has spent most of his professional life travelling around the world; posted from east to west, north to south – and when he finally returns to Jutland, to live in a suitcase. But that is how it is right now for the 44-year-old Søren Nørgaard Thomsen, who on 18 August replaced Ovin H. Carlsson as CEO of ESVAGT. And so it will be until the house in Rungsted is sold and the rest of the family will follow Søren Nørgaard Thomsen and the eldest son Andreas to Jutland. Here their home is an apartment and a summer house - and the personal effects are limited for father and son to a few suitcases: - I was convinced that we would move to the Esbjerg area when I started working for ESVAGT. I could commute, but I do not think that’s a good solution. If you want this job, it's important to be close to the office. And I want this job, says Søren Nørgaard Thomsen. Possible expansion To Søren Nørgaard Thomsen the job in ESVAGT is the right one: - The job is a very interesting challenge to me. ESVAGT is a big company with a lot of good employees and lots of expertise. You know your work. I see many exciting possibilities, he says.
Craftsmen copied The technical skills in ESVAGT is wellknown to Søren Nørgaard Thomsen. When he was with SVITZER, the employees of ESVAGT were an inspiration: - We introduced the term 'craftsman' in SVITZER inspired by what we had seen in ESVAGT. 'Craftsman' was understood as a skilled craftsman, a real professional. The term ‘craftsman’ may have had a negative meaning at a time when everyone should be generalists, but we saw it as an expression of a dedicated and specialized employee who really knows his trade. We saw this particularly in ESVAGT, says Søren Nørgaard Thomsen. 4
Søren Nørgaard Thomsen at "Esvagt Charlie"
He regards an expansion of expertise a prime target for the company which may well become even more international in the years ahead: - West Africa, Canada, Mexico - there are many opportunities for us. Not least the growing environmental awareness is an advantage for a company like ESVAGT. We are very conscious of our environmental responsibilities, and we're really good in the emergency area. There will be a great demand for this experience and these skills in the future, predicts Søren Nørgaard Thomsen. Remember the spirit Should ESVAGT expand, it should be done with care to ensure that the spirit is still there: - Our force is experience and expertise - we have people who simply live for this company. One of the things we have learned from 2008 when everything went fast with big expansion of the fleet was that we must remember the culture of ESVAGT. And the challenge is even greater if the expansion is far away from the base here in Esbjerg, says Søren Nørgaard Thomsen:
- But when we grow now, it happens from a wider base. We have several culture “carriers” we can locate in the right place so we are prepared to maintain our unique culture when growing, he says. He studied the culture at first hand on board the "Esvagt Charlie" when he went offshore a few months before he started in ESVAGT: - I saw the operation on close hand, and I was pleased. It is dedicated people who really are enthusiastic.
NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
Who-is-who: Private: Born and raised in the fishing village Hou in Jutland, not a fishing family, but in his younger years he worked with fishing. Married to Heidi, who is a nurse. Three children; Andreas (16), Anne Claudine (13) and Alexander (11). Søren Nørgaard Thomsen lives in Esbjerg with Andreas who has started in high school. The rest of the family will move to Esbjerg when the house in Rungsted is sold. Søren Nørgaard Thomsen enjoys a good coffee, green tea and the "wrong" football team - he supports AaB. Career: Trained in shipping at AP Møller and has been with the company for 24 years. StaOnce the alarm went off during a coffee break. Everyone knew it was a drill and still people ran off immediately to do their jobs. Training took place constantly. It was impressive, he says, also lauding the teamwork onboard "Esvagt Supporter" that brought him offshore to "Esvagt Charlie". Advantages and drawbacks With many years abroad global knowledge is an obvious strength of ESVAGT’s new CEO.
He describes his forces as a good drive and the ability to spot a talent: - I am glad to see employees grow with the tasks. I love to try people out in new jobs. To see if they can cope with the challenges, says Søren Nørgaard Thomsen. And what is he less good at? - You'll have to ask some others about that, but I am rather impatient when I have to spend time on unconstructive talk, says Søren Nørgaard Thomsen. n
tioned abroad most of the period except for five years when Søren Nørgaard Thomsen took a Bachelor of Commerce. He has been in Chicago, Dubai, China and Ghana, with increasing managerial responsibilities. Returned to Denmark in 2007 for a job as Chief Operations Officer of SVITZER.
Ten years for Maersk Oil without accidents "Esvagt Preventer” has been working another year without accidents Ten years for Maersk Oil and 16 years for ESVAGT – without accidents. Yes, "Esvagt Preventer” can be very proud of its safety work. The latest accident onboard "Esvagt Preventer” took place before we started making statistics on accidents: - It is very hard work to stay on top for so many years, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen, HSEQ Manager in ESVAGT: - A year without accidents is hard work – 16 years without accidents demand much focus from many of our employees.
The good result from "Esvagt Preventer” is not less impressive by the fact that the ship was laid up several times in 2009 which earlier has resulted in some uncertainty. - It is well done to be able to keep the level after having been laid up. It says quite a lot about the crews and their safety work, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen. n
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Contract in the Barents Sea shows ESVAGT’s ambitions The 10-year contract with ENI Norway on a new special designed ship confirms ESVAGT’s position among the industry leaders. Prospects are promising. A contract containing 10 years of solid work and an option on another five. Yes, it was a good occasion when the chartering department served cake to the office when the contract with ENI Norway on standby and preparedness work in the Barents Sea was signed. - It is the largest single ship contract ever, which we have entered into, says Ib Hansen, head of chartering in ESVAGT. Of course there is always a cause to celebrate when large jobs are entered into. But the job which ESVAGT’s SX123 ships will be facing in the Goliath field in the far north of Norway in mid 2012 contains much more than that: - Firstly, it will confirm that ESVAGT is among the best in the industry. Not just in our opinion, but also in others. We were in tough competition with several other companies including several Norwegian companies - and we won the contract. It shows that we are trusted with difficult tasks, says Ib Hansen: - And then it opens some very interesting perspectives. We know that many future projects will take place in similar areas. The fact that we participate from the start will give us an advantage in the future, he says.
FACT : Tough climate Located in the Barents Sea 85 km northeast of the Norwegian city of Hammerfest, boasting of being the world's northernmost town, the Goliath field is not just a resort area. The Barents Sea has a very harsh climate. It is so far north that there is midnight sun most of the summer and dark almost all day most of the winter period. Moreover, cold and humid - in January there may be icing 16 percent of the time.
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Important experience The work in the Goliath field is so far north between 71st and the 72nd north latitude where working conditions are extreme in many respects. Partly, large parts of the year there is either midnight sun or total darkness. Partly the circumstances are so that ships are in risk
FACT : Heated deck ESVAGT and ENI have started co-operation on operations in a very rough climate. ESVAGT ordered a custom-built ship of the type Ulstein SX123, a type which is among the most advanced ones in terms of equipment for environment protection and safety, and at the same time capable of operating in the Barents Sea. The ship is de-ice classed, which among other things involves heating elements in the hull and deck, to avoid icing, and heated room for the FRBs. The ship is able to undertake 370 survivors and has both an FRB and a daughter craft, which can operate under adverse weather conditions in 10 meter high waves. There will be a crew of 12, and crew changes will take place every 28 days. The ship is built in Bilbao, Spain, at the Zamakona shipyard.
of icing very fast if the ship is not specially equipped with de-ice devices, and if you have no other special protection. And the Arctic nature is very vulnerable and here the ships’ environmental preparedness has a high priority: In other words, both a huge order and a enormous and challenging task, says Ole Ditlev Nielsen, COO in ESVAGT: - There are some very interesting perspectives for us in further development of skills to work in the area and under these circumstances. We have the opportunity to gain experience in operating in the Barents Sea both with the tasks, equipment and manpower. The work conditions are extreme, and there is a lot of developmental work here, says Ole Ditlev Nielsen: - Some of the competences that ESVAGT have today, such as fast launching of FRB and picking up survivors within a few minutes really make a difference under these conditions. We expect that there will be an increased focus on oil exploration in the Arctic. The experience we get from the Goliath field will be an advantage for us in future work in the Arctic. n
FACT : Must take care of fragile nature The Barents Sea is a part of an environmentally highly sensitive area. Therefore, in addition to the safety tasks of the standby operations, there is also much focus on emergency tasks. ESVAGT’s new SX123-ships have a design and equipment which make it possible to collect and store up to 1,500 cubic meters of oil. Moreover, the equipment contains infrared cameras and radar that can detect hidden spills, and a ROV - a remotely operated vehicle - so you can inspect areas below the surface on close range.
NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
Be careful on the stairs It is often on the stairs you hurt yourself on ESVAGT ships. But it is not because of the stairs - it is your behaviour that should be changed There is a double handrail, optimal non-slip pads, perforated steps, backing and a black and yellow marker stripe on the side. Stairs on ESVAGT ships are optimized safety-wise and approved in any way. Yet it is often here people are injured when they are injured on an ESVAGT ship. During the past three years, the stairs have been mentioned in ESVAGT’s safety statistics rather often: October 2008 fall on a ladder, August 2009 fall on the stairway, in March 2010 fall on stairs, in March 2010 another fall on a staircase and August 2010 fall from a ladder. In addition to this, several near-misses, where you either fall without hurting yourself or have fallen, but have managed to grab the banister. Common to all these events is that they happened in fine weather, or even when the ship was in port. It's just not good enough: - The stairs are like taken out of a safety catalogue, and we've even made them extra safe by requiring special staircase-suitable footwear for the crews on board. In my opinion we have done everything we can improve safety on the stairs, and still people fall off them, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen, HSEQ Manager in ESVAGT. With coffee and paper When you have a complete safety optimized arrangement which people still hurt themselves on, you have to look somewhere else.
Steffen Rudbech Nielsen is convinced that it is all about behaviour: - It is of no use that we do everything possible to secure the stairs in every conceivable way when people think they can climb up and down with a cup of coffee in one hand and papers in the other .... And, sadly, this is how accidents take place. HSEQ has analyzed the incidents and accidents that have been in ESVAGT - both on stairs and in all other areas: Nearly 100 percent of the accidents are caused by employees showing a wrong behaviour, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen. The attitude has to change For the HSEQ department there is no doubt that in future the company will continue to focus on one thing: Changing the behaviour of our employees: - We have arranged our work in such a way that our employees can go to work safely and get home safely, and we take the responsibility for this. Therefore, it is just so annoying when it still fails because people have an inappropriate behaviour and take chances. It is the only risk factor we cannot immediately change, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen.
He stresses that it is human to show inappropriate behaviour, and through time to change behaviour to the more uncertain: - We've probably all tried to run an unnecessary risk - driving too fast, go through a red light, standing on a ladder or something else, perhaps a little foolish, but nothing happened. But next time we dare even more. It is very common and you are not a bad person because of this, he says: - But when things go well, a quite natural thing happens - that you get experienced in being uncareful. Something like walking on stairs may then be a potential danger. If you forget it, you may get hurt. This is why ESVAGT has focus on behaviour on board the ships. - You cannot write a procedure on how to behave on a staircase. It is absurd. But we can use many of the rules and guidelines we already have, figuratively. The rule that you must never run on a ship, unless there are really compelling reasons, should be spread out to all employees in ESVAGT - to hurry slowly, says Steffen Rudbech Nielsen. He would also like to stress that the human barrier 'care' is meant in a positive way: - We still have a macho culture where we find it a little fussy to worry about the colleague’s laces or that a colleague behaves badly on the stairs. But it is not. It should be okay to say to each other that you should be careful. n
FACTS: Safety awareness part of safety meetings To focus on the optimal behaviour, all ships are now required to have safety awareness as an item on all weekly safety meetings. HSEQ wants safety awareness to be an integrated part of the masters’ seminars or have a get-together on the topic, so good behaviour will become a natural thing to all of us 7
Olav left fishing for IT Ólavur Olsen - or just Olav - is head of ESVAGT’s IT department. Before that, he worked with many different things in the company. "That is not so hard” The phrase is often used when someone has solved a problem and boasts of it. A difficult screw cap with beetroot, programming of the new hard disk recorder, a successful lasagna: When people laud the work, they say just "that is not so hard ..." 52-year old Ólavur Olsen has said "that is not so hard " all his life. But he has generally said so to himself before finding the solution. When there still is a job, a challenge or problem - and where no one yet knows the solution and therefore not really knows how hard it actually can be. - I usually say "we will find out '. So I have to live up to it. And usually, it turns out that the task could be solved, says Ólavur Olsen, who is currently IT Manager in ESVAGT: - Normally, I find a solution. And the more times you say "that is not so hard" - it turns out not to be so hard anyway – it makes it easier to take on new tasks. From trawler to ESVAGT Ólavur was born on the Faroe Islands - Icelandic mother and Faroese father. When Ólavur was 1½ years old, the family moved to Esbjerg where his father was a fisherman, his mother was a fulltime housewife - and learned Danish by reading the Katzenjammer Kids - and Ólavur became Olav. At 15, he was ready to join his father in the fishing industry, and he went to sea in search of sandeel and Norway pout and the hope of
earning really good money. But it was not that easy - the first three weeks he got 600 DKK. Fishing became better, and Olav had some good years. Along the way he went to nautical training school where he became a fishing skipper of 3rd degree: When working as a fisherman Olav was independent, he went bankrupt and to sea again on the trawler "Betty Børsmose". And that lead to a job in ESVAGT: - I think that Ole Anderson was a partner in "Betty Børsmose" at that time, and when I was looking for job in ESVAGT, they saw that I had been on board the trawler. Then they phoned Thorvald Børsmose about me and I got a job as mate, says Olav Olsen.
One day he joined "Esvagt Charlie" which was the first ESVAGT ship with a computer: - It was a 386 model and I was fascinated by it. So I played around with it and decided to know more about it. Then I bought my own computer, a used 286 model which was worth 70,000 DKK when it came on the market, but now could be mine for only 1000 DKK, says Olav Olsen. Interest was aroused, and soon the office onshore learned that on board "Esvagt Charlie" was an employee who could operate the computer and even had created his own spreadsheet programme that could be used for the ship’s accounting: - I was asked if I could make such a programme on all ships, and I said yes. And then I had to find out how to do, says Olav Olsen. Computer tasks increased. Accounting programmes in the 1990s continued with course databases and personnel management systems and several other tasks: - Every time I said 'yes, sure I can' - and so I had to find a solution. And sometimes I definitely did not know how to do. So I went to the library to get books about the subject, he says.
Computers were interesting
Non-specialist knowledge an advantage
In ESVAGT Olav sailed both as mate and ship’s assistant. The job was originally only as mate, but as he was a bachelor and used to long days of fishing, he liked extra trips.
The many computing tasks came together with the work as a mate and this was not a good combination.
FACTS: Ólavur Olsen is divorced and lives together with his sister in Esbjerg. He has a 16-year-old daughter who also likes the sea - she has joined a continuation school with shipping as the main topic. He spends virtually all spare time on golf, and it goes well: The first time he struck a golf ball, he did it as a slap shot from the ice-hockey game. The ball went 200 m. After a year of golf, he has handicap 14. He also likes to go to rock concerts.
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Olav on Breinholtgård Golf Club after a match. Olav stands to the left.
NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
Therefore, in 1998 Olav was permanently employed in the office. First, with IT in the finance department, then a period of six years in HR, and since January 2007 as IT Manager. - I went to school for nine years, then obtained a fishing skipper 3rd degree and some courses, says Olav Olsen:
- But I've been sailing. It means I know what is needed out there. And as a fisherman, I know when something does not work, one earns no money - and that's not good. That mentality has certainly helped me, says Olav Olsen. If he should engage an employee in the IT-department, would he pick out a person with a similar diverse background? - Basically, I would probably not go to the harbour to look for an IT-employee, but you never know. We need a person with a non-professional background for the types of task we have, says Olav Olsen. n
My
– and yours! ESVAGT is a workplace where many people with different backgrounds and education have their daily lives. But do we all know what each of us really work with? And how we got there? ESVAGT News gives us a possibility of saying hallo to each other. With the series of articles “My ESVAGT”, we want to portray your colleagues – and maybe you, too!
Project day with partners On "Esvagt Christina”, our partners got a demonstration of the work performed by the C-group ships. Mutual knowledge is important for the collaboration. Mid June, ESVAGT invited partners from the shipowners’ association, classification companies and the Danish Maritime Authority to a project day onboard "Esvagt Christina". The purpose was to show how a C-type ship works – and many tasks were demonstrated, says COO Ole Ditlev Nielsen. - We spent a whole day together going through all functions and possibilities of the C-type. An engaged crew showed how to pick up survivors with the new FRBs developed by ESVAGT; dacon scoop where we pick up survivors in a net, save-canon which is a canon to shoot lines to other ships and the pneumatic line throwing equipment which can do the same, but on a shorter distance. We showed every kind of task that the C-type can do, says Ole Ditlev Nielsen.
Our guests also saw the accommodation, equipment, bridge including an advanced plotting system for making search patterns in an evacuation situation, hospital and many other things, and they were particularly impressed with the fast picking up of survivors by use of the FRBs:
- It is important to us to show our partners in detail what we work with. It is easier to understand each other when we know our different work areas and daily life, therefore this was a good opportunity to show our way of operating, says Ole Ditlev Nielsen. n
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"Esvagt Christina" in Esbjerg The last in the series of 10 C-class ships from the ASL Shipyard was also the far best. "Esvagt Christina" came to Esbjerg and went on charter in Norwegian sector. Well done by the ship’s assistants "Esvagt Christina" went from Singapore to Esbjerg via Cape Town and Las Palmas - ESVAGT chose to sail south of Africa because of the pirate threat in the Gulf of Aden - and the trip took 55 days. En route the ship was tested, checked, lubricated and fitted, and in Esbjerg network computer, satellite, davits, FRBs and daconscoop were installed. Then the ship went on charter in Norwegian sector to ConocoPhillips, and Kim Wium felt really good about sending it off: - The ship’s assistants have done a fantastic job on the trip home. Everything is greased, cleaned, cared for and tested. On other ships, we often experienced that when coming to Denmark, no hatches could be opened because of corrosion. But here everything has been checked. Mess room, workshop, storeroom and a whole lot else have been checked. The ship’s assistants have really done a good job and fixed it perfectly, says Kim Wium. n
"Esvagt Christina” came to Esbjerg in June – the last ship delivered to ESVAGT from the ASL Shipyard in Singapore – and it is a really good ship: - "Esvagt Christina” is working perfectly. Kim Wium has tested the ship on the last part of the trip from Singapore to Esbjerg. On the trip to Esbjerg he became very familiar with the ship and corrected some defects and shortcomings. They are always present on a new-building as was the case with "Esvagt Christina” –
FACTS: With "Esvagt Christina" the building programme of the C-class ships at the ASL shipyard has been concluded. A total of 10 ships have been delivered from ASL for ESVAGT, and co-operation between the two companies went really well. 10
but on "Esvagt Christina” there were not that many, and ASL should be lauded for their work: - On the last trip from Las Palmas to Esbjerg we did not have a single faulty alarm apart from the ones we had started ourselves when testing the system. I have never experienced that before, says Kim Wium The defects were a.o. that the terminal in the wheelhouse was turned upside down; the cold and hot tap in the bathroom was changed; the plug to the external speaker was turned upwards so it would be filled with water after about a minute's work in the North Sea. The hospital was finished in Esbjerg because the location of the cabinet made it impossible to get the suitcases onto the shelves: - Considering the amount of working hours building the ship, there were really very few defects. Definitely only minor problems, says Kim Wium.
Kim Wium resting while "Esvagt Christina" has ramps for the FRBs fitted in Esbjerg
NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
New employees Claes Skov Jensen, 36, and former ESVAGT employee, was back in Esbjerg as from 14 June 2010. Claes is qualified as a marine engineer from Esbjerg and has been sailing in J. Lauridsen A/S as a trainee, second engineer, chief engineer and head of maintenance. After that Claes had three trips with "Esvagt Sigma” as chief engineer and then he went to Norway to work for a Norwegian shipping company for three years. Claes lives on Fanø together with his wife, Rikke, and their children Markus (10), Laura (7) and Mads (4). He spends his time off with his children and on restoring a house.
Steen Nygaard Madsen, 51, was employed on 1 August 2010 as a Project Manager in ESVAGT. Steen is qualified as a blacksmith in Esbjerg and has been working in different shipyards and in the Danish offshore sector. In 1989 Steen qualified as a marine engineer and has been working in Maersk Line as a chief engineer and in A.P. Møller Technical Organisation as a Fleet Manager with focus on repair, maintenance, rebuildings and economy. In 2003/2004 Steen was working in Maersk Line Limited in Norfolk. Steen lives in Hjerting close to Esbjerg with his wife Helle and their two boys, Nicolai (18) and Mikkel (13). The spare time is mainly spent on family, sport and friends.
Birgitte Juul Nielsen, 46, and employed in ESVAGT on 1 May 2010 as a FPO (Fleet Personnel Officer). Birgitte was a bank clerk, but has spent the last 20 years in the offshore industry. She started as a receptionist, was later in purchasing and has spent the last 16 years with A.P. Møller as personnel responsible for the crews on drilling rigs. Birgitte lives in Varde, is married to Søren and mother of two daughters; Kamilla (20) and Rikke (16). Birgitte and her family spend their spare time on jogging and fitness.
Svend Toft, 53, by 14 July 2010 employed in the logistics department. The first 30 years he spent in Aalborg, but he has lived in Esbjerg since 1986. Svend has been working in the retailing trade for about 30 years. He is happily married to Bente through 28 years, has two children - Louise, 27, and Kasper, 22. He spends his spare time on handball, music and a puppy of 7 months. Svend is a volunteer in “Natteravnene” (a non-profit organisation looking after young people going to pubs and night clubs).
Jesper Sjørvad, 47, was employed in ESVAGT on 1 June 2010 as a Marine Superintendent. Jesper is qualified as a ship’s officer and has been working with the shipping company Mortensen & Lange, the ferry companies Mols Linien and Scandlines. Since 2003 he had been teaching at Falck Nutec in Esbjerg. The last three years he has primarily been working with emergency management. Jesper lives in Tjæreborg with his wife Lonnie and their children, Anna (11) and Johs (10). In his spare time he likes to drive his motor bike and play bass. He also likes jogging, biking and is sometimes reminded that house and garden need to be handled as well. 11
NO. 2. 2010. SAFETY & SUPPORT AT SEA
River Rafting in Esbjerg Harbour For one day ESVAGT extended the fleet with water cycles at the Lions Club sports festival in the harbour. On 21 August 2010 ESVAGT went to sea in a somewhat different vessel that what we usually do. In connection with the Lions Club arrangement ’Esbjerg Rafting Cup’, ESVAGT should compete in relay race on water cycles against teams from Café Cozmo, Port of Esbjerg, RB Regnskabsbureauet (an accounting company) and - a local game - SVITZER. About 50 ESVAGT employees had a fun day either as participants or audience. n
ESVAGT-NEWS PUBLISHED BY: ESVAGT A/S Adgangsvejen 1 DK-6700 Esbjerg Tlf.: +45 33 98 77 00 Fax: +45 33 98 77 05 E-mail: mail@esvagt.dk Website: www.esvagt.dk 12
EDITOR: Anette Sørensen
LAYOUT: Webservice
TEXT: Sune Falther
PRINT: Tarm Bogtryk A/S