In recent months, Thyborøn Port has worked hard to improve its quality, health and safety and environmental management, and its efforts have now been rewarded with as many as three ISO certifications at once. It’s been a major project that has already produced noticeable and positive changes.

For several years, as an important part of its strategy, Thyborøn Port has worked on improving the quality of its services and the environment in and around the port. As part of this process, after the summer holidays the port started working systematically to improve these areas. It has done so by implementing a quality, environment and OHS management system based on the ISO standards.

“We took this big step shortly before the summer holidays, when we decided to focus on getting certified according to the three standards for quality, environment and the working environment before Christmas”, says the port’s director Jesper Holt Jensen. “It’s been really exciting work, and it’s a pleasure to see how all the port staff have embraced the project and the changes it involves.”

During the certification process, the team looked at all the port’s activities, from the provision of harbour services, the work on the environmental and waste management, and how the port works to ensure a good working environment.

This work was partly based on the port’s support for the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, five of which are particularly relevant to ports. Thyborøn Port is committed to the five selected goals, which relate to “Clean energy”, “Sustainable cities and communities”, “Responsible consumption and production”, “Climate action” and “Life below water”.

The port’s director makes no secret of the fact that the last three months have been tough, but after a three-day external review of the company by the certification company DNV-GL, the director concludes that: “Everyone in the company agrees that we’re in a completely different place now than we were three months ago. The three standards have given us a great framework for working with quality, health and safety and environmental management. You have to set enough time aside for the work when you start a certification process. A year ago we hired an environmental engineer who put in a lot of effort to help ensure we were prepared for certification. And the benefits are obvious here and now, and we have high expectations for the the future as well. In addition, Poul Freiberg from the consultancy firm FEICON has been a huge help by showing us how to operate as an ISO-certified company.”

The staff at the port have supported the process throughout. Without the broad support of everyone, such a big change couldn’t have happened in such a short time. Dan Markussen, the port’s health and safety representative, says: “When I first came to the Thyborøn Port, it was my clear impression that the working environment was well in hand. But working with the ISO standard for OHS has lifted us to a whole new level. We’re all happy with it and can see the benefits of it.”