The Heijboer Group is proud to announce the nomination of its CEO and owner, Willem Heijboer, for the prestigious “ISO Excellence Award of the Year 2023.” This recognition highlights Willem Heijboer’s outstanding contributions to the ISO Technical Committee 8 (ISO/TC8), where his leadership has been instrumental in advancing international standards for the maritime industry.

Statement by our CEO Willem Heijboer about participation in ISO TC8/SC1/WG3

”Forty years ago when drawing up firefighting and rescue plans as a junior safety engineer, it became evident that there was a lack of alignment between safety procedures and escape signs. Safety signage was inconsistent, unclear, and did not comply with the varying regulations. Driven by frustration and a passion for safety, I began working on standardization with NEN and quickly extended my efforts to ISO TC 145/SC2.

My experience onshore, on ships and offshore installations highlighted significant disparities in safety signage. The same individuals received different information for the same safety message onshore, at sea, and in various countries.”

This led me to also join ISO TC8/SC1.

A thorough review of all relevant legislation concerning safety signage revealed that while the objectives are comprehensive and complete from a safety perspective, there is a lack of cohesion due to fragmented regulations. This issue is even more critical at sea, where escape is far more challenging than on land; one cannot simply step outside to reach a safe place in case of an emergency. Clear information how to develop a safety sign system in one worldwide common language to safety officers on board, shipyards responsible for installations, and classification societies is crucial.

I see it as my personal mission to bridge this gap by contributing to ISO standardization efforts, ensuring alignment from regulatory frameworks to practical implementation. This would enable classification societies to certify escape route marking systems and other safety signage based on clear and consistent definitions.

But most importantly, it ensures that all people on passenger ships and offshore installations can find assembly stations and be guided to embarkation stations in a clear, uniform, and language-independent manner.”

– Willem Heijboer, September 2024

ISO/TC8