A new study by Yale University to 1,572 seafarers identified potentially dangerous levels of depression, anxiety and suicide risk among seafarers. Within the previous two weeks of the survey, 25% of respondents had suffered depression, 17% anxiety and 20% had contemplated suicide or self-harm.
Bullying and harassment, including sexual harassment, is an abuse of human rights and a key area of concern for the working environment, especially onboard ships where there is limited alternative for someone to avoid it. This aspect of abuse is particularly important for women, as it is considered one of the reasons keeping them away from a shipping career.
In its 57th issue, CHIRP pays attention to an engine room rating operation that had to be conducted by the Chief Engineer, who declined to conduct the operation in the machinery spaces, due to the lack of safety measures, an act that in the beginning led to the Chief Engineer’s exclusion from engine room duties.
The inaugural SAFETY4SEA Manila Forum was successfully concluded on Tuesday 12th of November 2019 at New World Manila Bay Hotel, Philippines, attracting 350 delegates from 120 organizations. Discussions varied among key challenges affecting the industry, with a special focus on the hot issue of attracting new generations and diversified talents in the maritime industry which is struggling to cope with the reforms brought by accelerating technology and remain productive and efficient.
Fighting stress onboard is both challenging and crucial. Although much of our everyday stress can be useful in a way of noticing a problem or the pressures that we face, triggering us to act, in general, repeated and prolonged stress may have negative effects on our mental health. Focusing on seafarers’ safety and wellness onboard, a self-help guide, issued previously by ISWAN in cooperation with the Shipowners’ Club, provides practical tips to seafarers to better deal with stress and be able to recognize its symptoms and face a stressful situation.
The Mission to Seafarers in support of the Shipowners Club launches its Q3 2019 “Seafarers Happiness Index” highlighting that there has been an improvement of seafarers’ wellness onboard vessels, presenting an increasing to 6.59/10 from the previous 6.27, marking a promising and better future in respect of the seafarers and their life onboard.
In the first Gard Insights series, Kunal Pathak, Loss Prevention Manager, Asia, Singapore covers the topic of mental health of seafarers, discusses what can be done to break the taboo surrounding mental illness, as seafarers live and work under more challenging conditions than most of us.
The amount of sleep we need each day will change over the course of our life. On average an adult aged 18 years or older needs 7–8 hours a day, however, sleep needs vary from person to person. Lack of sleep and poor quality of sleep and rest can cause fatigue, which is considered as the silent risk factor for seafarers.
Started in April 2019 and led by Solent University, the ‘Effective Crew Project’ examined the implementation of either a stable or a fluid crewing strategy on board merchant vessels. Dr. Kate Pike, Associate Professor Emeritus, Warsash Maritime Science and Engineering of Solent University and one of the researchers of the project, shares its key findings.
People onboard are prone to several diseases and health hazards due to the nature of their work, change in climatic conditions, type of cargo carried, working hours and materials being handled. Among many, pneumonia can be an infectious disease for seafarers during their service.
