Northport (Malaysia) Bhd’s Mentor-Mentee Program has proven to be a success in improving Health, Safety and Environment (HSE) performance for port industry players. Through this program, Northport aims to create a culture of safety and continuous improvement within the industry, emphasizing the importance of leadership commitment, worker participation, and ongoing training and development. The program is the next step in Northport’s continuous journey towards HSE excellence by providing a practicable roadmap towards transforming the industry’s approach and practices relevant to HSE by sharing knowledge and experience to a wider audience.
Northport’s Mentor-Mentee Program was initiated in 2019 with Custovic Sdn Bhd as its mentee. Custovic is one of Northport’s main contactors which has among the worst HSE records. Through this program, Custovic has successfully reduced its number of accident cases from 24 cases in 2019 to only 7 cases in 2022. This program has also resulted in Northport and Custovic winning the National Occupational Safety and Health Awards 2020/2021 in the Mentor-Mentee category. This recognition is the highest level of safety and health achievement in Malaysia and was presented by the Prime Minister’s Department.
The success of the program has inspired Northport to expand its reach to other ports and port-related companies globally. In 2022, Maldives Port Limited (MPL) took the first step to participate in Northport’s Mentor-Mentee program. Through their participation, MPL was able to embark on effective communication of their Health, Safety, and Security Policy and organized the “Safety Week 2022” program to raise awareness about workplace safety among their employees and business partners. MPL is now working towards achieving ISO 45001:2018 certification.
Northport’s commitment to HSE and its successful Mentor-Mentee Program demonstrate the importance of proactive measures and ongoing efforts to ensure workplace safety, for the overall success and sustainability of the industry.