G2 OCEAN MONTHLY SAFETY BULLETIN
The Challenge
Stevedores continue to be injured in ports worldwide while handling cargo. In G2 Ocean’s breakbulk operations, a high proportion of the work involves manual handling, including hooking, securing and lashing cargo. These tasks are inherently high‑risk and expose workers to pinch points, suspended loads and repetitive physical strain.
Despite established procedures and training, incident statistics show that injuries in the breakbulk segment remain a challenge. Traditional safety communication methods, such as statistics and written procedures, do not always resonate with those exposed to risk day‑to‑day. A different approach was needed—one that spoke directly to people’s real working environments and experiences.
The Innovation
G2 Ocean introduced a Monthly Safety Bulletin: a concise, two‑page publication focusing on one specific safety topic at a time. Each bulletin is built around a real incident from actual port operations, supported by photographs and, where relevant, QR codes linking to short videos.
Crucially, every bulletin is linked to one of G2 Ocean’s “5 I’s” safety behaviours, such as Insight, Innovation or Intervention. This shifts the focus away from a single incident and toward the actions, decisions and behaviours that influence safety outcomes. The bulletin becomes not just a lesson learned, but a prompt for reflection and discussion about how work is carried out every day.
With around 3,500 port calls annually, G2 Ocean is uniquely positioned to share safety insights across countries, terminals and companies. The bulletin connects vessel crews, stevedores, terminal operators, ship agents and G2 Ocean’s own Port Captains, creating a shared safety dialogue across the breakbulk segment.
How It Was Implemented
The idea emerged during an informal conversation with a stevedore foreman in Verbrugge, who highlighted how valuable shared incident learning could be for raising safety awareness on the quay. The first bulletin was issued in July 2022, with a new edition released on the 15th of every month since.
Distribution has grown steadily, with translations introduced for Portuguese‑speaking readers in Brazil. Industry organisations such as ICHCA have helped extend the reach by sharing the bulletin through their own channe/ls. Recipients use the bulletin flexibly, including at toolbox talks, safety meetings, offices and break rooms.
What Was the Result
While it is not possible to directly measure behavioural change in incident statistics alone, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Compared with procedures or injury graphs, real stories from familiar environments resonate more strongly with workers.
The bulletin raises awareness, encourages reflection and supports daily safety conversations. Many readers value the transparency with which G2 Ocean shares incidents and challenges. By making safety personal and relevant, the Monthly Safety Bulletin supports the first and most important step toward safer behaviour: awareness.
- Date
- 25/08/2026
