Page 19 - 2021 - Q2 - Minerva in Focus

The link between maritime

incidents and seafarer wellbeing “

A review of work-related

A seaman’s work is related to various hazards encountered during the ship’s nor- incidents on our fleet ships
mal operation at sea or port. Despite all the measures to minimize hazardous during the pandemic period
conditions for the ship and its crew by implementing the applicable safety proce-
dures, eliminating all risk is practically impossible. indicated a rise in personal
injury indicators.
The risk factors directly attributable to
seafarers, widely known by the term ‘human
factors,’ are the leading causes of work-re- All officers and crews should imple- ”
lated accidents. These factors include
mental stress and fatigue, which in turn are
directly associated with seafarers’ wellbe- •
ing. In addition, due to the global COVID-19 ment all applicable safety and risk
pandemic, the new term “pandemic fatigue” control measures while performing
has been added to the conditions that need their work. When in doubt, they
to be controlled by vessel managers on- should seek assistance, even for
board and ashore. seemingly simple, “routine” tasks,
A review of work-related incidents on our as even slight variations in the way
fleet ships during the pandemic period in- they perform their day-to-day work
dicated a rise in personal injury indicators. can turn into a hazardous situation.
The cases reviewed suggested an irregulari- All crews onboard must be closely
ty in the safety conditions on board in rela- monitored and effectively super-
tion to the recent past, which is associated vised by the designated officers to
with human factors such as complacency, ensure situational awareness and
risk normalization, and lack of situational compliance with all applicable safety
awareness. In addition, seafarers’ fatigue requirements.
caused by their prolonged service on board • All seafarers should be urged to get
due to the travel restrictions imposed by proper sleep during resting hours
governments worldwide, which created to avoid fatigue, which is one of the
significant hurdles to crew changes and the primary causes of incidents at sea.
repatriation of seafarers, was a factor that During their free time, they should
could not be overlooked. communicate with their families and
These indicators increased our company’s be encouraged to socialize with their
concern over the implications of the im- colleagues. All seafarers should be
posed restrictions on our crews. However, aware and alert to any suggestion
they also reinforced the company’s determi- of mental stress or discomfort ex-
nation to deal with the crew changes crisis pressed by fellow crew members.
and improve the living conditions for those One should always be ready to listen
on board, thus highlighting the importance and never close the door when a
of seafarer wellbeing. colleague expresses concerns about
The constant efforts of the company’s their feelings or general psycholog-
competent departments for the timely ical state. Seeking help and talking
repatriation of seafarers despite the travel about problems with a supervisor
restrictions, the launching of health cam- or colleague could significantly con-
paigns such as “Promoting Wellness at Sea” tribute to one’s high morale while
and “Maritime Wellbeing - what are the onboard*.
signs and states,” as well as the continuous *In its effort to ensure the wellbeing of its
support to our crews on board in every oth- seafarers, our company has launched a Men-
er possible way, are already reflected in the tal Health Support Line in coordination with
most recent safety incidents indicators and Med Solutions. This helpline is available 24/7,
are expected to become more evident in the 365-days-a-year in Greek, Ukrainian, and
foreseeable future. Tagalog, and is open to anyone who wishes
An article by Georgios I. Diamantis Today, while the ongoing challenges world- to use it anonymously. Crew members are
strongly urged to speak with a mental health
wide continue to affect living conditions on
Senior Incident Investigation Officer board, two fundamental parameters could professional about their concerns and what
Deputy CSO, Minerva Marine Inc. prevent hazardous behaviors during work- is troubling them, or make inquiries or re-
ing hours but also while at rest: quests for mental health counseling, etc.
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