Building Proactive Safety, Even with 3 LTI-Free Years

If your safety record looks good, would you still challenge it?

Good KPIs can create a false sense of security. This is why Utkilen chose not to trust the numbers alone, and that decision uncovered insights they wouldn’t have seen otherwise.

In Utkilen’s case, the challenge wasn’t fixing an obvious problem. It was staying ahead of one.

With three LTI-free years, their safety performance appeared strong. For many organisations, good-looking KPIs mean there’s no immediate pressure to act.

But Utkilen’s leadership recognised a risk that many overlook: complacency.

“There was no obvious reason to work with Green-Jakobsen, but that’s a more complacent way of looking at it. We wanted to be proactive, use the three LTI-free years to react to chronic unease, and keep our focus alive.” – Roy Håre, Head of Quality & Sustainability

Behind good KPIs, there’s always uncertainty – what isn’t being seen, reported, or discussed? Traditional metrics can’t answer these. And so, sometimes the right moment to look deeper into your safety culture is when everything seems fine.

We implemented Performance Delta to help Utkilen avoid complacency; gain a clearer, more objective view of their safety culture; and equip leaders with an effective management tool.

The roll-out was carefully prepared, with strong internal engagement and familiarisation across both ship and shore. This ensured that the tool would be used as intended: not as a KPI, but as a basis for reflection and improvement.

To get everyone on board from the beginning and address scepticism, Håre personally visited many of the vessels to explain Performance Delta. The shore-based staff also went through the familiarisation courses conducted by Green-Jakobsen.

Initial reports provided useful observations:

“The different opinions of the seniors, juniors, and ratings have surprised us. Some vessels also had surprisingly low scores – lower than the usual Utkilen standard. After seeing the findings, the gut instinct that you get is, ‘Okay, I have to go on board and talk to these guys.’”

But as Green-Jakobsen and Håre emphasised, “It is vital to use Performance Delta as a management and improvement tool rather than be KPI-fixated.”

Instead of reacting punitively, they used the data to facilitate crew-led dialogues and targeted action plans. Each vessel worked on their own specific challenges, enabling more relevant and focused improvements rather than fleet-wide initiatives.

Utkilen crew members engage in Performance Delta activities

Utkilen strengthened their proactive mindset while gaining clearer, vessel-specific insights into actual conditions on board. Leaders, especially superintendents, now have a more practical tool for follow-up, supported by concrete and focused data.

“Performance Delta gives you objective evidence of what the situation actually is on board. It puts your feet back on the ground, especially if you think you’re too good.” – Håre

Beyond safety, Performance Delta also improves other areas. As Håre put it:

“The first module we had, Risk Management, is about making sure that everyone is heard and making things safer. But the different modules on cooperation, leadership, and a happier ship mean that Performance Delta can improve not only safety areas but also the environment and interpersonal relationships on board.”