The pandemic has not only strengthened the acceleration of technology in everyday life, allowing almost every task to take place remotely, but has also brought the issue of mental wellbeing to the fore in every sector, including shipping, an already sensitive industry on the topic due to the special nature of seafaring as a job. Looking at the issue of wellness through the technology lens, how could technology help address mental health issues onboard?
This was the main point of discussions during a recent webinar organized by Safetytech Accelerator, a non-profit established by Lloyd’s Register and the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, focusing on safety and risk in industrial sectors. The online meeting showcased some of innovative tech solutions which could be applied to mental wellbeing in maritime, discussing the drivers and challenges for technology in this area.
But why is wellness onboard an issue?
What does a typical day look like for a seafarer onboard? Manit Chander, CEO of HiLo Maritime Risk Management, provided a picture for non-maritime people to understand: Locked up into a “building” with 20-25 people (mostly men) of different nationalities for 4-5 months. There are no weekends off. They work every single day on different weather conditions. Their only recreation is maybe watching a movie or series. They usually have low bandwidth with which they access social media. There, they see their friends and family having fun while they sustain all these conditions.
Technology equals data availability
Speakers made clear that one of the most important conveniences of technology for addressing mental wellbeing onboard is that it can provide the industry with a clear picture of the issue. Indeed, a technology presented on the auspices of the webinar works by soliciting direct feedback from seafarers to a set of questions about wellbeing and safety.
We all know mental health and mental wellbeing is a major challenge globally and there’s enough of statistics and data around that, but in this, the biggest challenge we face globally is first people identifying that they need help and then getting the right tools for it. This is where getting hands on data helps in order for them to identify the challenge and aligning them with the right tools
…argued Mr. Chander.
Technology equals connectivity to the world
Meanwhile, amid a growing discussion on the limited availability of Internet onboard, Neil Dulling – HSE Manager – MOL LNG Transport, noted that seafarers need to be shown that they are more valued, and technologies can help the industry to achieve this:
There’s been a big debate in opening up wi-fi and opening up social media to seafarers; whether it is suitable for them whether it opens them up to problems and pressures from their own family and home that they can do nothing about several thousand miles away onboard a ship…I think we need to move on from that and accept that people want to be connected with their families. Knowing that something is going on is better than not knowing at all
…he noted.
Technology equals many more benefits
In this context, the audience heard of several technological innovations deployed to address the complex consequences of people’s wellness onboard. One company is using Artificial Intelligence to detect conditions that could be linked to wellbeing problems. Another focuses on fatigue management using sensors to measure seafarers’ sleep patterns and heart rates. A start-up has deployed an AI-driven ‘personal psychotherapist’ for seafarers, while another has developed technology that examines the iris in the eye to detect fatigue or stress. A system uses CCTV cameras to observe behavioural patterns and then analyze them using Machine Learning. Meanwhile, chatbots for addressing mental health issues like PTSD onboard were discussed as a very interesting option for the way forward.
Currently there’s PTSD treatments that uses virtual reality and I think it can make a tremendous difference to give that opportunity to seafarers
…said Johan Smith, Project Manager, Sailor’s Society.
Using enabling technology to enable people to speak to another person I think is a big factor and whether that’s a port chaplain or others, I think there’s going to be a role for the shipping industry and indeed ports to look at ways that they can facilitate that sort of almost consultation and enabling people to talk to someone and share things. Often, they don’t want to share things onboard with fellow crew members because that might be embarrassing, awkward, whatever the situation, or they just wouldn’t have some trained staff to do that
…explained Richard Ballantyne, CEO, British Ports Association, adding that 5G that is going to become available soon will provide the opportunity of super-fast connection which is a great opportunity for seafarers when visiting ports.
The way for the future
Even if technology is there to help, different perspectives on mental health driven from cultural differences are a main point of concern, said Ben Bailey, Director of Advocacy & Regional Engagement at The Mission to Seafarers:
A crucial thing is that we’re dealing with seafarers who come from lots of different countries where mental health is still very heavily stigmatized in some of those nations particularly in eastern europe so at the heart of it we can have all these great technologies but what we can’t do is impose a western view necessarily
…he stressed.
The only way we can make a significant impact on the mental well-being of our fellow seafarers is to help them to identify the fact that they need the help in the very first place, give them access to tools that are relevant that are non-intrusive in order to build trust and definitely most important, give them solutions that are practicable and very much aligned with the environment that they work in
…said Mr. Chander.
