Broaden your perspective, refine your choices—effort never goes to waste.

— A Brief Note on My Study in Hangzhou

On June 28, 2022, the Zhejiang Provincial Port and Navigation Administration Center, together with road and port & navigation management service centers from Hangzhou, Zhoushan, Ningbo, Wenzhou, Huzhou, and other cities, held a training workshop for safety management personnel from major shipping enterprises across the province in Hangzhou. I was honored to be invited and actively participated in this training workshop.

The content of this meeting is mainly divided into four parts: opening remarks, the Law on Production Safety, job requirements for maritime and marine engineering management personnel, analysis of typical cases of maritime traffic accidents, and the Law on Maritime Traffic Safety.

The meeting officially began at 9:00 a.m., with opening remarks delivered by Ye Junbin, Director of the Shipping Division of the Zhejiang Provincial Port and Navigation Administration Center. Director Ye pointed out that we must recognize the severity of the current shipping situation. Zhejiang Province has already implemented systematic and effective measures to curb potential hazards, and next, it will launch a special campaign to enhance maritime traffic safety. Director Ye’s remarks underscored that, given the current challenging circumstances, it is imperative to carry out targeted special campaigns with effective measures, adhering to the principle that “those who manage an industry must ensure its safety; those who manage operations must ensure their safety; and those who manage production must ensure its safety.” We must assign safety responsibilities to every link, every post, and every individual, thereby ensuring that maritime safety supervision and management are truly put into practice.

Next, Wang Ruizhi, Director of the Zhejiang Provincial Administration of Work Safety, provided a detailed explanation to the attendees of the key highlights of the 2021 revision of the Law on Work Safety. We learned that this revision comprises a total of 42 articles, accounting for roughly one-third of the original provisions, and has deepened our understanding of work safety.

Around noon, Zhang Guilin, Director of the Zhejiang Branch of the China Classification Society, gave a briefing to the participants on the job requirements for maritime and marine engineering management personnel as well as an analysis of typical cases of maritime accidents. In addition to helping everyone understand the responsibilities of maritime and marine engineering management personnel, the briefing also provided detailed insights into recent trends in data related to transportation vessel accidents in the maritime sector. Currently, the safety development of waterborne transport is transitioning from a phase of declining accidents to a period of stability. As a result, all attendees fully recognized the critical role that enterprises must play in ensuring the safety of ship transportation.

In the afternoon, Director Xu Leyou from the Regulations Division of the Zhejiang Provincial Maritime Safety Administration gave a briefing to the participants on the Maritime Traffic Safety Law. The new Maritime Safety Law clarifies compliance boundaries and helps shipping companies enhance their level of law-based and compliant operations management. It also deepens capacity-building in governance, thereby fostering a favorable, rule-of-law-based business environment for the development of shipping enterprises. Moreover, it clearly defines the rights and obligations of shipping companies in maritime transportation activities, encouraging them to fulfill their primary responsibility for safe production. Finally, it refines the system of legal liability, prompting shipping companies to attach great importance to safety and compliance management in order to effectively mitigate risks.

After this training session, I not only gained a deeper understanding of many concepts that I previously only had a superficial grasp of, but also became much clearer about the related concepts, content, and legal bases for penalties. Following the study of relevant safety content and legal knowledge, we engaged in a lively discussion together, further enhancing our awareness and capabilities in safety management.

After returning to the company, I promptly conveyed the content of our study sessions and the spirit of the meeting to the shore-based staff and all vessels under our management. I urged all personnel to carefully study the meeting materials, thoroughly grasp the meeting’s spirit, and flexibly apply it to their daily work.

Truly: Standing tall at the crest of the tide.

Only then did I realize how high the waves were and how fierce the wind was.

Climb high and gaze into the distance.

Just as the clouds parted and the sky grew vast and high.