Claims related to illness have been frequently notified to the Shipowners P&I Club, with the number of claims reported remaining steady in number over the last five policy years. The Club partnered with the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) and issued guidance on maintaining a healthy diet onboard merchant marine ships in order to raise awareness of crew-related illness and to assist our Members in mitigating against related incidents.
It is important to remember that vessels are not only a crew’s workplace but, for set periods of the year, they also consider the on board environment their home. Therefore, a major element of crew welfare is ensuring that this environment encourages a healthy lifestyle. It is with this in mind that the Club is sponsoring ISWAN’s Seafarers’ Health Information Programme (SHIP), an initiative that promotes and distributes health information materials to shipping companies, seafarers’ centres, and direct to seafarers.
It is imperative that whilst on board, all crew members have access to healthy food choices that will enable them to optimise their performance in their role while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The below Guidance can assist crew members by providing simple dietary information including sources of vitamins and fibre, foods to avoid if on shift work and an outline of the healthy food pyramid.
Further details may be found in the Guidance below
Source & Image credit:The Shipowners P&I Club
