Safety

building a culture of safety

zero is a requirement

As a company, Dupre Marine Transportation has continually grown, set goals, and became safer through achieving these goals, however we do not only see accomplishing ZERO as a goal.  We see attaining and maintaining ZERO as a requirement to operate, and we believe it is this sense of perfect performance that will ultimately drive us to meet these requirements consistently.

To meet the requirement of ZERO, Dupre Marine Transporation has instilled a safety first approach in everything we do.  It is our belief that if we have the right employees, the right approach and the right effort, the result will be a "CULTURE OF SAFETY" that is second nature amongst our crews.

It is management’s ultimate goal to ensure that each and every employee at Dupre Marine Transportation maintains a safety first mentality and is able to return home to their families healthy and safely.

Josh Petroff on the M/V Jerry Porche

safety policy

It is the policy of the Dupre Marine Transportation, LLC to conduct its business in a manner that minimizes injuries to our employees and contractors. Consistent with this, management is committed to plan and execute its activities in a manner that meets or exceeds all regulatory and customer requirements for our operations.
Dupre Maine Transportation is committed to:

  • Striving for Zero injuries and illnesses

  • Promoting a safe workplace

  • A pro-active approach to the identification and control of hazards and safety risks

  • The establishment of documented safety management procedures

  • Continuously learning from our performance so we can effectively improve our processes to achieve our safety goals

Responsibility for the implementation of this policy rests with all employees and contractors engaged in our operations. A commitment to safety is a requirement for employment at Dupre Marine Transportation as safety is both an individual and team responsibility.

It is a high priority that everyone has the responsibility and will be held accountable for working in a safe and sound manner. Management is committed to and reviews the suitability of this policy and our safety objectives annually.

fully compliant

Dupre Marine Transportation is TMSA 3 compliant and continually reviewing procedures and attending seminars/webinars to remain up-to-date on the latest information.

Dupre Marine Transportation fully enforces SUB CHAPTER M, and we are happy to announce all of our vessels have already obtained their COI (Certificate of Inspection) and in the process of the second round of 5 year COI renewals. DMT has taken on Sabine Surveyors, LTD as our TSMS (Towing Safety Management System).

Fire Drill on the M/V Cove Point

New Hire Employees

New hire employees at Dupre Marine Transportation go through a multiple step training process that includes:

  • A phone interview for a general feel of the applicant and gather information

  • A face-to-face interview with the Personnel Manager and often the Port Captain, geared to collect documentation and perceive whether the candidate meets company values

  • Interview with Vice President Calvin Self, primarily about safety, the culture at DMT and expectations of all employees

  • Orientation to assess past training and determine new training along with introduction to procedures

  • Finally a meeting with the President of Dupre Marine Transportation to emphasize safety, culture and customer service

Wheelmen Check Ride and Ride Along

All new hire wheelhouse personnel at Dupre Marine Transportation undergo a "Check Ride" or "Ride Along" process to assess the wheelman's capabilities, which must be fully complete before standing their own watch.

This process includes:

  • A ride along with the Port Captain that must include at least 12 hours of stick time

  • An audit that will assess the wheelman's abilty to navigate the vessel, communication, usage of equipment and navigational tools, knowledge of DMT and customer procedures, risk assessment, leadership skills and decision making abilites,

  • This process must be repeated and tracked every 24 month

Saige Robinson on M/V Miss Genevieve

 
 
 

safety first

Dupre Marine Transportation strongly believes that safety is a part of every job and that no job, no matter the position, should be done without thinking of safety first. If a job cannot be done safely, employees should use “stop work authority” until the job can be safely performed.

Dupre Marine Transportation’s core belief on boat towing safety is that all incidents and injuries are by their very nature preventable. It is a belief that is fundamental to our culture.

We believe that safety starts at the top. Management’s most important role is to create a safety rich environment at work that will in turn follow our employees home and become an integral part of each and every employees’ life. It is management’s responsibility to lead the safety effort by establishing safety goals, providing the resources to make these goals obtainable, and to hold each and every employee accountable for their safety performance.

Tankerman Josh Petroff on the M/V Rex Dobson

Tankermen performance

At Dupre Marine Transportation, Tankermen must go through an Approved Tankerman's process before being released to stand their own watch.  During this process, the employee will endure a constant assessment that includes:

  • An Appoved Tankerman Recommendation complete by an Approved Tankerman and the Captain of the Vessel

  • A Cargo Transfer Audit, which is performed by our Port Captan and demonstrates the employee's competency during all aspects of a transfer

  • An assessment at least every 24 months to maintain Approved Tankerman status

The Cargo Transfer Audit is designed to guage the Tankerman's competency in:

  • The usage of PPE

  • Correct use of tools

  • Tankering operations including: barge check, warning signs, testing of emergency equipment and valve alignment

  • Communication

  • Customer Service

  • Knowledge of customer and company policies and procedures

  • Moorings

Man Overboard Drill on the M/V Kleberg

Work environment safety

ASSESSING RISKS

We work in an industry that can be hazardous to people, the environment and equiment.  Management at Dupre Marine Transportaiton ensures that every employee understands this, but we also ensure that the risks that each and every job presents can be identified and mitigated by an observant well-trained person.  We try to make safety personal.  We believe that if each and every employee understands that his actions can affect every employee at DMT and their families, he/she will take that extra step that may uncover hidden risks.  We teach that it is every employee's duty to ensure the safety of everyone involved and that it is this approach that will build the strong safety culture we desire.

NEAR MISSES

Potential employees are asked on their first interview to explain a "near miss" situation they have experienced.  We do this to ensure the applicant not only understands the meaning of a "near miss", but more importantly to drive home the fact that we believe it to be an important weapon in our war against unwanted events.  Dupre Marine Transportation employees are taught fron the onset of employment that near misses can and do prevent accidents, but also, near misses are tracked to identify trends and graded for potential severity.

STOP WORK RESPONSIBILITY

It is simple, if an employee perceives a task to be unsafe...STOP IT.  Just like near misses, the issuance of SWR is another critical weapon in our war against unwanted events.  It is our final tool to use when a potential unwanted event is recognized and the task needs to be halted.  Also, like near misses, potential employees are asked for examples to ensure comprehension and assure what is expected.