After 31 years of hard work and personal experience in the maritime industry, Guice Offshore (GO) Human Resources Manager and Alternate Company Security Officer Donna LeBlanc knows a thing or two about offshore supply vessel safety.
In addition to managing Human Resources for a staff of nearly 100, LeBlanc is focused on assisting GO’s fleet in meeting not only exacting U.S. Coast Guard safety and security standards, but the meticulous expectations of Guice Offshore itself, as well as her own fiercely watchful eye.
LeBlanc assists Guice Offshore Operations to ensure all GO vessels and personnel stay up-to-date on required security drills and training before they are allowed to report for duty, and that each vessel in the GO fleet has a highly trained Vessel Security Officer on board at all times. Advanced and ongoing Coast Guard-required training for offshore supply vessel crews includes:
- Firefighting
- Water Survival
- Rigging
- First Aid and CPR
- Automatic Electronic Defibrillator (AED) operation
- Understanding of blood-borne pathogens (such as COVID)
Each Guice Offshore supply vessel and crew member must adhere to a long list of regulatory standards, which includes completion and regular training from SafeGulf, a course required of anyone working offshore.
“It speaks loudly for our company that we voluntarily participate in stringent safety programs like ISM Certification from the American Bureau of Shipping which is not required for our size vessels, but we maintain it nevertheless,” said LeBlanc, who was instrumental in the creation of Guice Offshore’s safety and compliance manuals when she started in her position here in 2010 during the company’s formative years.
LeBlanc also tracks, prepares and executes all internal and external safety audits for Guice Offshore, including those from the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). She also manages the company’s participation and keeps up with training developments in other voluntary compliance programs, like the Petroleum Education Council (PEC) certification (part of SafeGulf) and the National Contractor Monitoring Service (NCMS).
But it’s the human touch, she explains, that means the difference in Guice Offshore’s success.
“We are a family-owned company and treat our people well. We treat everybody with respect. We also say what we do and do what we say!”
As Human Resources Manager, LeBlanc is also responsible for all Guice Offshore employees’ typical paperwork, including payroll, vacation days, health insurance and retirement plans, but she also assists employees with the renewal of their Coast-Guard-required merchant mariners’ documents and medical certificates showing their fitness to work in tough ocean conditions—whether domestically or internationally.
With GO’s zero tolerance Drug-Free Workplace designation, she serves as Guice Offshore’s Coast Guard Designated Employer Representative (DER), who is empowered to receive drug test results and other communication on behalf of the company, meaning she is required to make decisions in the testing and evaluation process. DERs must be knowledgeable about the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Transit Administration regulations, company policies and internal procedures.
Donna LeBlanc can be reached at donna.leblanc@guiceoffshore.com or call her at (985) 801-4051.
Those interested in working for Guice Offshore can fill out an application using the secure online form here: https://www.guiceoffshore.com/application-form/
Should you wish to charter a Guice Offshore vessel and have special crew requirements, call David Scheyd at (985) 273-2769 or david.scheyd@guiceoffshore.com
