The word "health checkup" comes from the word for ship dock!
The Seto Inland Sea is surrounded by Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. Due to its topographical conditions, the Seto Inland Sea region is warm throughout the year, with many sunny days and little rainfall. The weather was fine on the day, with calm waves and a pleasant day.
A "health checkup" is a medical examination that involves many tests that you will need to undergo if you work for a company for a long time, but the name "health checkup" comes from the maintenance of ships.
We would like to introduce you to such a ship's "dock."
Hello! Sorry for the late introduction, this is the Flight Operations Department.
Our Operation Management Department is a new department that was established in April 2024, consolidating the work related to the operation of our ships that had previously been handled by other departments. My main duties include checking the upcoming weather and sea forecast with the captain, discussing the operation schedule, and working with the chief engineer to arrange for the bunkering of fuel oil used on the ship.
Another part of the work of the Operation Management Department is to carry out educational activities to deepen the understanding of our land-based employees about "ships" and the "seafarers" who work on them. This time, we led a group of young employees on a "dock training" tour to the Kawashiri Factory of Kanda Dock Co., Ltd. in Kure City, Hiroshima Prefecture, where our ship "Tokachi" was undergoing various inspections and maintenance work.
Just like automobile inspections, ships are required to undergo regular inspections. In conjunction with the inspection schedule, ships are also required to enter a dock (written in kanji as senkyo) to undergo maintenance on the numerous pieces of equipment found throughout the ship. It is said that this is how the term "health checkup" came to be used, in analogy with the docking for the hull inspection mentioned at the beginning.
During the dock training, the first mate working on land guided the trainees, explaining about underwater hull structures that are normally never seen (bulbous bow, thrusters, Doppler logs, fin stabilizers, controllable pitch propellers, etc.). In the engine control room, the onboard engineer explained to them the specifications and structure of the main engine and generator, and on the bridge, the onboard officer explained to them about various navigation instruments such as the steering gear and radar. The young employees asked a series of questions about the various equipment and the work of the crew on board, appearing to be fascinated from start to finish.
After the dock training, a safety meeting was held with onshore staff, including our company's president and executives, and crew members. The meeting covered the past year's operational performance of our company's ships, as well as examples of accidents on other companies' ships. There was a lively exchange of opinions on how we can contribute to more efficient operations, how we can prevent similar incidents from occurring at our company, and how we should respond if an incident does occur. At the end of the meeting, all participants confirmed that both onshore and offshore will continue to work together to ensure safe operations for our company.
Finally, I would like to conclude this issue of Kinyu News by introducing some delicious seafood from the Setouchi region. Firstly, Hiroshima is synonymous with oysters! As it was early summer, I enjoyed grilled oysters and the soul food of Kure City, near the shipyard, "small sardine tempura," before heading home.
Thank you for reading to the end.
- Financial News
- The word "health checkup" comes from the word for ship dock!