Page 7 - 2024 - Q3 - Minerva in Focus

MINERVA IN FOCUS

Seafarers and preparedness for new fuels and new
technologies for crew on different types
Happiness of vessels.
According to the feedback from the Q2 re-
Index shows port, the positive shift in seafarer wellbeing
is a testament to improvements in several
rise in critical areas, including shore leave, wages,
training, crew interaction, and workload.
wellbeing Those serving on vessels with up-to-date
communications technology comment
on how it is transforming the social and
#Wellbeing emotional landscape of life at sea, as it is
critical for connectivity and links to home.
Many seafarers express profound grati-
The Seafarers Happiness Index (SHI) is a tude for maintaining regular contact with
quarterly survey undertaken by the Mission loved ones. However, for those who do
to Seafarers, delivered in association with not have those means of communication,
Idwal and NorthStandard and supported life on board can be challenging; many are
by Inmarsat. The survey offers vital insights facing limited data, slow connections, or
into the sentiments and experiences of the no access at all.
men and women who serve at sea. Similarly, shore leave, which is crucial for
The findings of the latest Seafarers Hap- maintaining mental and physical health, is
piness Index report reveal a mixed but often restricted for seafarers due to tight
increasingly positive picture of seafarers’ port schedules, regulatory barriers, and in-
wellbeing, with the happiness index in- consistent practices across different ports
creasing to 6.99 in the second quarter of and companies. While access to recre-
2024, marginally up from 6.94 in the first ational facilities like gyms is essential for
quarter of this year. maintaining health, the quality of equip-
However, the survey results reveal con- ment and safety standards often need to
cerns over the emergence of two class- be improved. Additionally, cost-cutting
es of life at sea for seafarers. There are measures can lead to monotonous meals,
suggestions of a “digital divide” when it adversely affecting crew morale.
comes to accessing the benefits of mod-
ern communications and connectivity at Source:The Mission
sea, as well as different levels of training to Seafarers

New IMO fire

protection

regulations

for container
ships

#ΙΜΟ

Since 2012, IUMI’s Loss Prevention Com- the first time that IUMI participated with a sence of wind, 75% of the volume delivered
mittee (LPC) has been committed to improv- large delegation of six representatives in would have to reach its intended target. This
ing fire protection aboard container ships. one of the organisation’s subcommittees. capacity of 2,000 l/min per monitor is signifi-
An IUMI Working Group is currently active In the SSE Correspondence Group, the cantly less than that of coastguard vessels
in the Ship Systems and Equipment (SSE) IUMI Working Group has made the con- (estimated at 10,000 l/min). However, the
Correspondence Group at the IMO where crete proposal that container ships must be monitors can be targeted so that they con-
it represents the interests of cargo and hull equipped in such a way that every position tinuously reach and cool the seat of the fire,
insurers. It is the first time in IUMI’s history on deck can be reached by two monitors. In thereby multiplying their firefighting effect.
that marine insurers have brought a new the proposals, the onboard monitors would
agenda item to the IMO, and it has been have to pump 2,000 l/min and, in the ab- Source: IUMI

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