Environment | Social | Governance
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Download ESG Report 2022

Social

Material Issues

  • Emissions
  • Energy
  • Waste Management
  • Marine pollution and conservation
  • Water and effluents

Goals 2021-2025

  • Status: 13 out of 23 environmental goals for 2023 have been already embedded

Diversity, Equal Opportunities and non-discrimination

44%

Female
Representation

15.7%

New Hires

90%

Employee
Retention Rate

22.7%

Female
Managers

48.8%

MSc/MA/MBA

72%

BA/BSc

127

Employees

39.7

Average Age
of Employees

1,397

11 Training Hours
per Employee

20

New Employees
Hired

12

Summer Interns

Our People

In a fast-moving world that poses multiple challenges, the ability of our people to uphold the highest standards is crucial to keep growing in a sustained manner. Their safety and well-being are a priority for us, while we strive to keep them happy, engaged, and help them reach their full potential. We promote equal opportunities and a culture of appreciation and respect, while recruitment processes are applied without any discrimination. Our main objective is to create an inclusive environment where all feel welcome. We know that our success depends on the work of talented, dedicated seafarers and ashore personnel who play a critical role in helping us reach our business goals. That’s why we seek to attract, recruit and retain only the best people. Through our commitment to our people, our values and our responsibility to our communities, we aim to create an environment in which our people are proud to work.

Ashore Personnel

Our shore-based staff is run by an expert team of individuals with extensive experience in the shipping industry and the containership market. We develop and maintain processes across departments and promote continuing professional development and training. The high employee retention rate is an important indicator of the employees’ satisfaction and the effort we put into engaging our staff.

It is widely recognized that there should be no difference in salary based on gender and equal pay for equal work is a fundamental concept.

Danaos promotes equality in the workplace, creating fair and inclusive policies and practices and ensuring transparency in pay structures, while at the same time addressing any biases or discrimination that may affect salary decisions.

It is essential to continue advocating for equal pay and working towards a society where gender does not determine one’s salary.

Danaos Summer Internship Program

Danaos summer internship program is a valuable opportunity for recent graduates to gain hands-on experience in our offices. The length of the internship program varies but it typically ranges from three to four months. The interns work under the guidance of a team who provides feedback and support throughout the program while they also participate in training sessions, workshops, and networking events to enhance their skills. At the end of the program, they have the opportunity to present their work, participate in group projects, and receive feedback from their peers and supervisors. This experience can help graduates develop their skills and knowledge and explore career paths. They also meet and connect with professionals in their field, learn about job opportunities, and receive guidance and mentorship from experienced professionals. Overall, our goal is to make internships in Danaos a valuable and rewarding experience for both the graduates and the employees!

46ideas from
35participants
3awarded
Our Crew

Being a seafarer is one of the toughest and most demanding jobs in the world. Seafarers often have to deal with isolation, difficult weather conditions and constant threat of piracy and shipwrecking. As a matter of fact, the crew’s welfare and development play a major role in our operations and it is in the center of our business. In doing so, we have a close relationship with all of them and we work hard on their regular training and career development.

As a matter of fact, access to communication facilities plays a vital role within seafarers’ mental health and it contributes to their career development.

1,435 Seafarers onboard
36Average Age Seafarer
81.2%Crew Retention Rate
4,966Training Hours provided in the offices
66Seafarers were promoted
Promotions
Rank
9
Masters
24
Chief Mates
11
Chief Engineers
22
Second Engineers
Incidents of discrimination and corrective actions taken

In 2022 no incidents of discrimination have taken place.

All Aboard Alliance

Danaos has joined The All Aboard Alliance which brings together senior leaders from across the maritime industry, united by a collaborative drive towards increasing diversity, equity, and inclusion in all organizations, at sea and onshore – for maritime to become the sustainable, forward-looking and innovative industry we can all be proud of.

The All Aboard Alliance is designed around five principles:

  • Appoint a business sponsor to lead and ensure accountability of diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization.
  • Equip and educate people to understand their role in fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace – from senior leaders through to line managers and team members.
  • Create and maintain an organizational culture of equity and belonging where everyone has equal opportunities to contribute and to thrive.
  • Capture relevant data and develop insights to evaluate progress and to evolve strategic objectives.
  • Communicate commitment and progress externally on an annual basis.

Occupational Health & Safety

The health and safety of our people are paramount to the well-being of our people, and we are working towards the safest possible conditions through the implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety regime.

Promoting Safety at Sea

DNV certified

Danaos Shipping was the first Greek company to be certified by Det Norske Veritas (“DNV”)

Shipping is an inherently hazardous activity. The United Nations agency, International Maritime Organization (IMO), implements international regulations designed to improve safety at sea while reducing pollution from ships.

The IMO’s International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (“SOLAS”), together with the International Safety Management Code (“ISM Code”) for the Safe Operations of Ships and Pollution Prevention set forth the framework for effective maritime safety in the late 1990s.

At early stage Danaos developed a documented Safety Management System (the DSMS) fulfilling the requirements of the ISM Code. Since 2002 -when the Code became mandatory for containerships- the DSMS has being audited successfully and Danaos maintains its Document of Compliance (the “license to operate” of shipping) valid throughout the years.

The health and safety of our people are paramount to the well-being of our people, and we are working towards the safest possible conditions through the implementation of an Occupational Health and Safety regime.

This regime includes:

  • The application of best practices in ship operation and working environment to prevent injuries.
  • Continual, flexible, and regularly reviewed risk assessment for vessels, cargo, and environment.
  • The ongoing development of the health and safety skills of our people.

The 2008 Amendments to the ISM Code which entered into force on 1 July 2010 foresaw the inclusion of Risk Management process in the Safety Management System of a shipping company. Risk Management is a decision-making process aimed at reducing the number of losses of people, equipment and material due to accidents. Since it is impossible to eliminate all risks, we must learn to control hazards in order to reduce the amount of risk that the crews, our vessels and the Company are exposed to.

A hazard is a substance, situation or practice that has the potential to cause harm. The controls may be applied either to reduce the likelihood of occurrence of an adverse event, or to reduce the severity of the consequences. The risks we are concerned with, are those that are reasonably foreseeable, and are related to:

  • The health and safety of all those who are directly or indirectly involved in the activity, or who may be otherwise affected.
  • The property of the company and others.

It is important to recognize that the Company is responsible for identifying the risks associated with its ships, operations, and trade. Consequently, our Safety, Quality & Environmental team experts having long sea-going experience prepared a library with various risk assessments related to shipboard operations and their respective controls to achieve a Healthy and Safe working environment onboard the ship, and to achieve a friendly environmental impact from the ship’s operations.

‘ We train our people on board and actively engage them in recognizing and reporting near misses.’

Risk Assessments are prepared to cover a wide range of shipboard operations in areas such as:

Anchoring • Arrival – Departure • Bunkering • Cargo Operations • Defective Equipment • Emergency preparedness • Environmental Operations • Health – Hygiene • Maintenance & Repairs • Management of change • Mooring • Navigation • Safety preparedness • Security preparedness • Use of tools • Various Shipboard Activities • SEEMP

Any additional controls from those mentioned in respective risk assessments, may be considered to reduce the risk further. The Master has the liberty to make a new risk assessment applying controls and hazards which might further reduce the risks involved. This is sent to the Office for approval and when reviewed and approved by the Office, is saved within the existing library. The Risk Assessment library is continuously updated when a new hazard and its associated controls are identified.

Our policy clearly states that all incidents are reported, investigated, and analyzed to prevent similar incidents in the future. We train our people on board and actively engage them in recognizing and reporting near misses.  These minor incidents are regarded as warning signals for procedures and practices that merit revision and remediation. All incidents are investigated by the ship’s Master, with the support of the safety Officer, seafarers’ safety representative or any other member of the Safety, Environmental & MLC Committee.

Danaos uses the most objective measuring tool, the Loss Time Injury Frequency (LTIF) which measures the number of hours a seafarer is unable to work due to injury. To further decrease the LTIF rate we have incorporated the Lockout/Tagout system which is used to control hazardous energy. Additionally, from 2018 onwards we started implementing a Behavior Based Safety approach in order to address the factors that influence and reinforce learning and behavior. Successful implementation leads to significant improvements to the safety performance, and through the BBS approach we aim to create a “total safety culture” throughout the company.

In 2022 with the usage of UDE reporting tool in its full application we have gained a more in-depth insight into the conditions under which an event occurred and closely followed up the corrective actions taken onboard. At the same time, we emphasized best practices which enhance onboard safety in an effort to raise crew awareness.

All seafarers actively participate in the onboard Safety & Environmental Meeting performed at least once per month. This is a formal meeting where a set agenda includes, among others, health and safety issues for discussion. The Safety, Environmental & MLC Committee comprises of crew representatives and is tasked to prepare the agenda for the meeting. The Committee works with the sole goal of enhancing the health, safety & environmental standard on board ships by ensuring that all Health, Safety & Environmental procedures and practices are followed by the ship’s crew members. Its role and main tasks are clearly defined in the Company’s Safety Management System.

All systems of Danaos Safety Management are audited internally by the Safety Quality and Environmental Department and externally by Recognized Organizations, members of IACS. Unscheduled audits are performed if a serious deficiency in any part of the DSMS becomes evident during third party inspections. Audit findings, Non-Conformities or Observation notes are collectively analyzed and evaluated during the management review process. In pursuit of managerial excellence, we have established our own KPIs by participating in the BIMCO SHIPPING KPIs. Findings that pose a serious threat to the safety of personnel or the ship or a serious risk to the environment are analyzed with the RCA method and immediate corrective action is undertaken.

In  2022, 76 internal audits as well as 21 third party audits and 5 MLC inspections were carried out onboard of ourFleet to ensure that our system remains in compliance with the ISM/ISPS Code, the ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 50001 standards and the Maritime Labor Convention (MLC). Our vessels’ certification was endorsed successfully..

During 3rd-party MLC inspections it is verified that all seafarers enjoy decent living and working conditions onboard and that their employment agreements and payment of wages are in accordance with the applicable collective bargaining agreements.

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Enhancing fire safety onboard

During the last years an increase in cargo fire incidents has been noted with over 70 cases of fires on container ships reported over the span of five years (Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (2022), “Safety & Shipping Review 2022”, https://www.agcs.allianz.com/). This has triggered a lot of discussions among industry and reflection on the measures that should be taken to strengthen onboard fire safety. In 2022, Danaos taking into consideration the safety risks of dangerous goods (DGs) transported in containers and of cargoes that may not be characterized officially as dangerous but still they represent a possible source of ignition under specific conditions, supplied the whole fleet with additional fire-fighting equipment capable for use in fires where cargo containers are engaged. Onboard training has been enriched with the demonstration on the proper use of the additional firefighting devices (Portable Twin Hydrant Valve, Container Fog Lance Kit, HydroPen) in order to raise crew effectiveness in emergencies.

Our Response to COVID-19

Although in 2022 it was noticed a relaxation of imposed restrictions due to COVID-19 pandemic we continued following all the precautionary measures and procedures to ensure crew changes can take place safely, in compliance with the WHO and the IMO instructions. Our shipboard COVID-19 Contingency Plan remained in force with focus on practices that protect crews from infection.

Marine Casualties

In the year 2022 we had Zero Marine Casualties.

Number of Port State Control

In the year 2022 the total number of recorded deficiencies was 130. Among Fleet it was noted one (1) detention.

Crisis Management and Emergency Planning

Danaos has taken all necessary measures and resources to protect people, vessels and operations in case of an emergency. We have established procedures to identify potential emergency situations and we have prepared the relevant plans. The plans are communicated to all employees and crew members, and we provide response training. An important parameter for our emergency preparedness system is our hands-on management system on board of every vessel, detailed in the Ship Security Plan (“SSP”). All employees, crew members, visitors, inspectors, suppliers, and any third party seeking to board the ship are also required to comply with the SSP. A specific Emergency Response Plan and an in-house Emergency Response Service system have been developed to support the whole process and provide specific instructions and task allocations.

Danaos Cyber Security Management System

Ensuring the security of our digital assets is a top priority for us. We have implemented and incorporated into our SMS, a Cyber Security Management System (CSMS) that is designed to protect our systems and data from cyber threats. Our CSMS is based on industry best practices and is continuously updated to address new and emerging threats. We believe that our CSMS is an essential component of our overall risk management strategy and is critical to maintaining the trust of our customers, partners, and stakeholders.

Our CSMS is designed to provide a comprehensive approach to cybersecurity that includes risk management, threat detection, incident response, and recovery. We have implemented a range of security controls, using the latest technology of firewalls, EDR/XDR, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and data encryption, shore and onboard. We also conduct regular security assessments, including social engineering, penetration tests, vulnerability assessments and audits to ensure that our CSMS is effective and up-to-date. We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of cybersecurity and will continue to invest in our CSMS to ensure that we are well-prepared to meet the challenges of an ever-evolving threat landscape.

We recognize that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility and that our employees play a critical role in maintaining the security of our systems and data. We provide regular training and awareness programs to ensure that our employees are aware of the latest threats and best practices for cybersecurity. We also encourage our employees to report any suspicious activity or potential security incidents to our security team. By working together, we can help to ensure the security of our digital assets and protect the interests of our customers, partners, and stakeholders.

Training

Danaos Assessment and Training Center

Seafarers

1,148 training hours (Greece office)
1,129 training hours (Ukraine office)
651training hours (Russia office)
2,038 training hours (Zanzibar office)

Office Employees

1,397 11 training hours per employee / year

The Danaos Assessment and Training Center (DATC) was established in 2016 in order to cover the newly arising training need of the fleets’ Officers, Crew and shore staff employees. It accommodates an on-premises installation, housed at the Danaos Piraeus offices, comprising of the full-mission Bridge Simulator and state of the art training facilities. The DATC defines the Company’s inherent duty and obligation to provide the best training facilities and to develop further the personnel’s competence in order to ensure operational excellence. An integral part of the curriculum is our Company’s Safety Management System (DSMS), and the feedback and lessons learnt from actual fleet experience. The training combines theoretical knowledge and practical training, tests and enhanced competence by using actual scenarios as simulation exercises.

DATC has been certified and accredited by Lloyd’s Register of shipping and the DMS (Cyprus Government Department of Merchant shipping) with the Approved Training Provider Certificate and the ISO 9001:2015 Certificate. The DATC personnel continuously support and cooperate with all the Company’s departments for the identification of their specific training needs and thus providing training activities aimed to further enhance their knowledge, awareness, competence, and performance.

In  2022 we offered 1,397 and 4,966 training hours to our ashore and onboard people, respectively, on the following topics:

  • Environmental policy and goals
  • Relevant environmental aspects
  • Operational, monitoring and contingency procedures
  • Updates in laws and regulations affecting ships’ operations
  • Fire safety training, designed to introduce us to the necessary skills of fire safety, prevention and risk assessment
  • CPR & First Aid course, skills required to deal with emergency situations whenever and wherever they may occur is of vital importance.

In particular we offered:

  • Through the DATC the following Simulation Trainings are provided:
  • BR(T)M: Bridge Resource Management
  • MRM: Maritime Resource Management
  • Mega carries Shiphandling basis Danaos 13,100/10,100 TEU vessels
  • Incident Command & Rescue Sim AFF Module

Also, in 2022 the following Trainings/ Courses/ Seminars were provided:

It is imperative for people involved in daily operations to understand the importance of energy management and company’s commitment to the battle against climate change. We place emphasis on training our people so as to be well aware of a company’s environmental policy, objectives, performance, and ultimate goals, in order to be able to embrace the corporate efforts and contribute each one as a unit the maximum to this collective effort. Decarbonization is not a simple process and requires joint efforts not only internally, but also externally engaging key stakeholders. Training is to be provided to both shore -based personnel and seafarers.

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Child Labor, Forced and Compulsory Labor

Our Sustainable Supply Chain

Company’s Procurement is responsible for sourcing, analyzing, negotiating and supplying materials and services for vessels’ and personnel’s needs. To this context, there is interaction with hundreds of vendors and service providers across the globe producing tenths of thousands of orders and service agreements.

Due to the complexity of the needs of vessels, our supply chain includes products and services such as Spares/ Maintenance, Provisions, Cabin, Deck, Engine Stores, Lubricants, Chemicals, Gases, Paints and Safety services in every port of call. The ability to conduct business in an appropriate manner towards ethical, social and environmental standards plays a major role in our suppliers’ selection. As such, they are expected to take steps for continuous improvement towards a responsible and sustainable way.

Criteria such as equal opportunities, compliance with international labor standards (no child labor, decent working conditions), health and safety awareness, zero corruption tolerance, transparency and fair business policy are combined with high standards products that promote best use of the vessels’ machinery and the hull as well as the wellbeing of our crews onboard.

In 2021 we concluded the assessment criteria identification for our suppliers and prepared the analysis platform required.

In 2022, questionnaires according to identified criteria were sent to all our key suppliers (104) and more than one third (37) have already been assessed. Process will continue for the rest and all new entries that can be identified as key ones. In addition to responding to the challenges posed by locating and selecting an order, we ensure effective delivery onboard, considering minimum energy footprint and proper timing. In this process we implement and evaluate tactics like seeking local deliveries, placing bulk orders, consolidating shipments, optimizing courier usage and implementing a one-step final delivery.

Child Labor at sea

The Company does not consider a seafarer suitable for employment in case he/she has not completed the 18th year of age under any capacity. Age verification of Seafarers is conducted prior to their employment to verify that no Seafarers under 18 years are employed.

Security practices

All deck personnel (52%) with specific assigned security duties receive related training on methods of physical searches of persons. As is clearly stated in our Ship Security Plan (SSP) any such search shall be undertaken in a manner which fully takes into account the human rights of the individual and preserves their basic human dignity. Complementary to the SSP, SSO Danaos Security Training Manual which is used for the onboard training contains detailed instructions and techniques related to search of individuals and describes the items to be considered to ensure respect is always given.

Our Strong Community Engagement

Our strategic priority is to create value for the society and the community in which we operate, and to keep our employees engaged and involved through various voluntary initiatives. We believe in the value and power of solidarity and our community investment activities focus on supporting vulnerable groups and institutions.

CSR Employees Initiatives

Project Connect

Danaos has warmly integrated the “Adopt a Ship” program by having already enrolled 5 vessels. “Adopt a Ship” is an innovative program which connects primary and high school pupils with seafarers, aiming to educate youngsters about the seafaring profession and the maritime sector through the adoption of a vessel for one academic year. Throughout the year, the pupils communicate with the crew on a weekly basis and gain first-hand knowledge of life at sea by tracking the voyage on a world map and engaging in interactive learning activities while, at the same time, the importance of the seafarers’ contribution to the society is also highlighted.

The Master of M/V Hyundai Honour accompanied his last letter with a few pictures from the Aleutian Islands, a chain of 14 large volcanic islands and 55 smaller islands in Alaska.

M/V Hyundai Honour at the Aleutians
M/V Hyundai Honour at the Aleutians
Running for ELEPAP in the Athens Classic Marathon

Runners from across the globe united in Greece for the 39th Athens Marathon retracing the steps of the Ancient Greek hero, Pheidippides, who ran from Marathon to Athens to convey the news of Greece’s victory over the Persians in 490 BC.

Among them, as per every year, the Danaos Running Team was there supporting ELEPAP and highlighting its important social work.

As Bill Bowerman once stated “ The real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. It’s to test the limits of the human heart”!

Greece Race for the Cure

Team Danaos walked and ran to support the NGO “Alma Zois”, during “Greece Race for the Cure” and spread awareness and hope in the fight against breast cancer!

Together we are stronger.

Afforestation in Paiania

According to a Chinese proverb, the best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second-best time is today!
For a 2nd year, Danaos joined forces with We4All and planted 1000 trees in a tree planting initiative in Paiania.

The principles of social responsibility are an inextricable part of Danaos culture and we take pride in partnering with organizations who are as passionate about protecting the planet as we are.

We are grateful and honored to be part of this forward movement!

Beach Cleanup in Voula

On the occasion of the International Coastal Cleanup Campaign coordinated in Greece by HELMEPA, another voluntary coastal cleanup was successfully completed yesterday in Voula.

Big thanks to Danaos employees and their families who renewed their commitment to the protection of our planet by taking part in this global initiative and spreading the message that we care about the sea and the future of our children.

CPR & First Aid course training

Being trained in the skills required to deal with emergency situations whenever and wherever they may occur is of vital importance!

Danaos is proud to offer our people a comprehensive CPR & First Aid course.

First aid training is saving lives!

Fire safety training

Fire safety in- house training was successfully completed in our premises. The training was delivered by a designated firefighter from the Hellenic Fire Academy, and it was especially designed to introduce us to the necessary skills of fire safety, prevention and risk assessment.

With safety coming first everyone should always be prepared and work with each other effectively.

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