DNV GL’s My Care: Applying hospital-grade infection risk management to ships

Managing infection risk during the COVID-19 pandemic requires a new approach to disease control and prevention. My Care is DNV GL’s infection risk management approach that has been developed to assess, manage and mitigate infection risk in management systems, business processes and operations. My Care incorporates local regulations and guidelines – it can be applied to any vessel type, as well as terminals

My Care’s suite of independent assessment services is designed to help businesses reassure stakeholders that they have put infection risk management at the core of their risk management strategy.

The My Care methodology is derived from the approach DNV GL applies to assess infection risk management in hospitals. It brings together aspects of DNV GL’s healthcare standards, best practices in risk management, HSE and quality management systems and maturity safety rating standards.

The My Care assessment framework is applicable to companies in any type of industry, including the maritime industry. It differs from DNV GL’s recently launched CIP-M which is a certification standard for infection prevention developed specifically for cruise and other vessel types. CIP-M includes sections on very specific areas such as medical staff, patient rights and medical records.

“Verification by a third party provides assurance that the right measures are in place to keep people safe, providing transparency and enhancing the trust of passengers and other stakeholders,” says Luca Crisciotti, CEO of DNV GL - Business Assurance. “Active communication of infection risk prevention and mitigation efforts can help companies restore passenger trust, as well as that of employees and other stakeholders. All My Care assessments result in a dedicated trust mark that can be displayed online or onboard the vessels, for example, and through which you can share more information.”

As a starting point to resuming operations, companies can choose to assess how well they have implemented infection prevention processes and measures. In addition, My Care can be used to measure infection risk management maturity. This provides a comprehensive understanding of the maturity of their existing processes. It also facilitates integration into and development of HSE (Health, Safety & Environment) management systems, to build long-term business resilience.

The Finnish cruise and ferry company Viking Line is the first maritime business to complete a My Care readiness assessment, covering seven vessels as well as six terminals.

“The pandemic has put immense pressure on businesses to demonstrate a readiness to re-open and reliably sustain operations – the maritime industry is no different,” said Knut Ørbeck-Nilssen, CEO of DNV GL – Maritime. “Following our recent launch of the certification of infection prevention in maritime (CIP-M), My Care is yet another example of how DNV GL continues to draw on its existing expertise and experience in healthcare and other industries to innovate new maritime-targeted products to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.“

For customers and other stakeholders, scanning the QR-code embedded in the My Care trust mark opens the DNV GL’s assessment statement, which in a consumer-friendly way provides more details and is stored on VeChain, a leading public blockchain, for added trust and integrity. For maritime customers looking to return to business, My Care’s holistic approach enables readiness to deal with infectious diseases today and can drive lasting changes that build long-term business resilience.