ALERT — ISSUE 18 — HEALTH AND WELLBEING

Another release of the Human Element bulletin, and this one is dedicated to the health and wellbeing of people who are working at sea. Since so many of the systems on board ships are dependant on human involvement to some extent, we need to consider this link as a potential frailty that requires to be under periodic monitoring and management.

It is very important to keep the mariners healthy and happy since this will definitely result in the safe and commercially efficient of the vessel. In the fourth article of the MLC Convention it is emphasized that every seafarer is entitled to the right of working in a safe and secure working place complying with the applicable recognized safety standards, as well as to fair employment terms, decent conditions of living and working on board, protection of their health, and other forms of protection. It means that the owners and managers of the ships are obliged to provide their employees with secure and safe working place, and comply with the requirements of all relevant regulatory documents.

This can be done through encouraging of the safety culture and security awareness, provision of adequate benefits to the employees, establish and maintain the working policy of openness and good communication, and everything else that is required. The present issue of Alert is supplemented with this short training video.