MIND THE GAP
The International Transport Workers’ Federation has released survey results
covering Covid-19 health protection measures onboard ship, revealing a
significant gap between companies and seafarers. Rob Coston reports.
have policies in place, but these aren’t necessarily
being communicated to seafarers.’
WHAT SHOULD SEAFARERS EXPECT?
While Covid-19 is a new threat, the World Health
Organisation International Health Regulations
2015 and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC)
FINLANDS SJÖFART SUOMEN MERENKULKU 45
A new International
Transport Workers’
Federation (ITF)
Full report link:
Read the full report,
including recommendations
for concerned
seafarers, at
bit.ly/3n0A9HPz
report into health protection
measures on board ships in response to Covid-19
contains several worrying statistics, but one
stands out.
Some 94% of companies say that they have
provided training on shipboard plans and
procedures to deal with Covid-19 – for example
through posters, training videos or information
sheets – yet nearly a third of seafarers surveyed
still say that they have not received any instruction.
This is a dangerous oversight. Even if a
company has put helpful procedures in place,
there is no guarantee they will be properly
followed without adequate training.
The ITF has urged companies to improve their
communications and encouraged seafarers to
request the information and protection they
deserve.
ABOUT THE SURVEY
The health protection report contains data
collected in two separate surveys, one of
international seafarers conducted by the ITF and
another by the International Chamber of Shipping
(ICS), which surveyed its member companies.
Note that the seafarers may not be serving
with vessels covered by the ICS survey, which
may explain some of the discrepancy between
the figures.
In creating the report the ITF was keen to see
if there was any improvement from the first few
months of the pandemic.
‘We’d hoped to see some kind of understanding
from the seafarers of what is happening with
Covid and that their company had put things in
place to protect them, because in the early days
of the pandemic there was a sense that they were
not aware,’ said ITF assistant section secretary,
seafarers, fisheries and inland navigation
Fabrizio Barcellona.
‘I think the situation has dramatically improved,
but there are still some areas that need
to be worked on. We believe that companies now
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” Safety is the responsibility of both company
and seafarer. If the policy is perfect but not
implemented correctly it’s not a good policy.”
create clear responsibilities for health protection
that still apply during this pandemic situation.
Under the MLC, ‘every seafarer has the right to
a safe and secure workplace that complies with
safety standards and to health protection,
medical care, welfare measures and other forms
of social protection’.