Wilson Sons trains more than 170 captains on safety and cutting-edge technology

With workplace safety outperforming the world benchmark for excellence, Wilson Sons, a leader in port and maritime logistics in Brazil, has a culture of safety with continuous development, which is the basis of its operations.

At its William Salomon Maritime Training Centre (CAMWS), the company constantly trains seafarers using simulations customized for each port. With cutting-edge technology, the manoeuvre simulator is used to train new tugboat captains, who practice their manoeuvring skills by carrying out docking and undocking operations at the port where they will work, using models of ships that normally dock in the location.

Since April, to improve operational safety, more than 170 company captains have been trained. This is the “Safe WS-Standard Manoeuvre” project, which presents its foundations and aligns manoeuvring practices according to Wilson Sons’ quality standards. The topics covered include electronic navigation, use of equipment such as radars and GPS and actual cases of manoeuvres, to prevent misbehaviour and unsafe conditions, avoiding incidents and accidents.

Using echo sounder technology, areas with navigation restrictions are detected and updated on nautical charts, ensuring navigational safety. Improving communication between captain and pilots, via VHF, and internal communication with the engine room, are also in the training scope, meeting all company and Navy standards.

“At Wilson Sons, our commitment to the safety, efficiency and sustainability of our operations is unwavering. Once all captains have been trained, we will move on to retraining, incorporating new principles to keep our operations increasingly safe and efficient,” says Pedro Lima, fleet manager and head of training at Wilson Sons.

Sailors under pre-admission training and assessment are required to complete simulated emergency drills. These include: cable breakage, extreme sea and wind conditions and low visibility. The company also provides training for sailors being trained to become captains. In these groups, workers are trained, for example, on decision-making, navigation equipment, maritime and port legislation, documentation, levels of responsibility and International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs).

The latest workplace safety figures of the Wilson Sons Group, released in August in the income statement for the second quarter of 2024, attest to the priority given to the issue within the company. In the 12 months ended June 30^th, workplace safety was 0.29 incidents per million hours of work, continuing to outperform the world-class benchmark of 0.50.

Special operations and rescue

In addition to ship docking and undocking operations at ports and terminals, Wilson Sons conducts special offshore operations with tugboats in Brazilian Jurisdiction Areas (AJB) in more than 20 branches, from North to South of Brazil. Also, the crews are trained on these operations, which include firefighting and rescue support, deep-sea towage and platform handling at the Campos and Santos Basins.

Owning the most powerful and sustainable fleet of tugboats in Brazil, Wilson Sons is the only company to operate in more than 30 ports and terminals along the Brazilian coast. Furthermore, it stands out due to the readiness of its modern strategically positioned vessels, ensuring compliance with the requirements of each port and meeting customer demand.

To this end, the company strategically allocates rescue vessels, which are always ready to work and quickly enter into operation. Regarding fleet management, the company controls the vessels designated for potential special operations, ensuring timely maintenance, updated documentation and properly serviced equipment to be operated whenever required.

Focusing on the client’s journey, the company's goal is to provide world-class service to exceed expectations from the very first moments of each deal, through specialized technical studies, through ensuring operational safety until completion of services within the agreed deadline and scope.