Hafnia Shipping has once again won the Danish Shipping Association's Diversity Award, first and foremost for its efforts with the "Seafarer Advisory Board", involving seafarers in the discussion about the working environment on board. It also benefits safety.
Again, this year, Danish Shipping has presented the organization's Diversity Award in connection with Copenhagen Pride, and for the third time, the award has gone to tanker shipping company Hafnia. The Danish Shipowners’ Accident Insurance Association has spoken to the actors involved about this.
The theme of Danish Shipping's DEI Award 2026 is "Small changes, big impact", and in its decision, the jury has chosen to recognize Hafnia's efforts with the company's so-called "Seafarer Advisory Board", which includes the seafarers' own experiences with inclusion and culture on company vessels.
Nina Porst, Director of Sustainable Ships and Competencies at Danish Shipping, emphasizes the value of a good and inclusive work culture, which also makes a difference when it comes to safety. When employees feel respected, heard and comfortable speaking their minds, it becomes easier to draw attention to mistakes, risks and inappropriate conditions before they develop into accidents, she believes.
»Initiatives such as Hafnia's Seafarer Advisory Board are interesting because they give seafarers a clearer voice. Dialogue between employees and management can strengthen well-being, a sense of belonging and the ongoing learning about safety, and thus contribute to a stronger workplace on board,« she says.
Just like when Trine Lundgaard Hoffmann from A.P. Moller – Maersk won the Diversity Award 2023, Vice President, People, Culture & Strategy at Hafnia, Mia Krogslund Jørgensen, who works with Hafnia's focus on female seafarers, also greatly appreciates the recognition.
»It's a big pat on the back, because it's something we invest a lot of time and energy in, and it's an ongoing project. So, it's a huge recognition. We strongly believe that small initiatives together have a big impact. So, we are very happy to be recognized for that,« she says to Danish Shipping.
She shares this view with her colleague Ralph Juhl, Executive Vice President, Technical at Hafnia based in Singapore with 15 years as a seafarer at the beginning of his career. And even though his sailing experience has aged a bit, he still has an eye for life at sea.
»There are some cultural things that don't shift so quickly in terms of how you live and interact with each other on board, the tone among the crews and the social part of being on board a ship. So, I am very concerned that our seafarers should feel good out there,« he says.
Diversity in terms of gender, among other things, is a major focus for Hafnia, which currently has around 600 female seafarers on its vessels. Photo: Hafnia
Important knowledge brought to light
In addition to the general well-being of Hafnia's more than 4,300 seafarers, of which about 600 are women, Ralph Juhl is also very observant as to where the shipping industry is heading. The increased digitalization of shipping with more autonomous systems and complex electronics places new demands on seafarers and raises new questions about the environment in which they move, he believes.
»That is why I am also pleased with the award from Danish Shipping, because it allows us to talk about what we have done, and in this way share some ideas with the industry. This applies to both the other nominees and to the industry as a whole,« he says.
This is where the Seafarer Advisory Board, which Hafnia established just under two years ago, comes into play, in short with the aim of getting the people of the sea to talk. The board consists of eight seafarers – young, old, men and women – who meet four times a year with everything paid to share their experience of working at sea.
»We have discovered that there is a whole world of things taking place on our ships that are not really shared with us at the head office. And then we can't act on it. So, we have gained extremely valuable knowledge, and at the same time a fantastic channel for communicating with the ships,« Ralph Juhl says.
This applies, among other things, to the challenge of a safe working environment on Hafnia's Culture Lab ships with 50 percent female crew, of which the shipping company, since UFDS spoke to Mia Krogslund Jørgensen and Ralph Juhl about it just over three years ago, now has almost 10. Specifically, for example, solutions are being rolled out to handle heavy lifting around the ships.
»We have brought a lot of issues to light through the Board, including safety-related challenges, that we can really spread across the fleet. Because a problem is rarely isolated to one ship, and similarly, a solution can often also be used in many places,« Ralph Juhl says.
Ralph Juhl was originally trained as a master seafarer and sailed for the first 15 years of his career before going ashore. Photo: Hafnia
A way to future-proof
One of the most important overall goals of the Seafarer Advisory Board is to build trust across the organization between ships and land. Ralph Juhl feels confident that this trust – and the psychological safety that comes with it – will make a positive difference for the seafarers on board.
»We are still collecting data to really support this feeling, but the early signs are encouraging, and we are in the tanker industry with a very low number of accidents and incidents in general. When we can feel that there is a greater commitment among the seafarers, and that they are dedicated and loyal, it’s also a sign that the people are thriving,« he says.
And in a world where people generally work less time at sea before going ashore, it is extremely important to be able to offer a safe workplace, even when it is floating and moving around on the world oceans.
»The Seafarer Advisory Board has been established very much for the sake of the seafarers, but certainly also for Hafnia as a whole. Creating safe and decent working conditions for everyone at sea is also a way of future-proofing us when it comes to recruitment. It's all connected,« Ralph Juhl says.
