Login

Weather in Malta

16.3°C dust

dust

Time Zones:

New York

Malta

Shanghai

" Serving the world...

...from Malta "

Weather in Malta

16.3°C dust

dust

Time Zones:

New York

Malta

Shanghai

" Serving the world...

...from Malta "

Resources

Articles & Presentations

Covid-19 is putting seafarers’ mental health on the front burner About time too

Focus on seafarers’ mental well-being has been gaining more coverage over the past couple of years. But the dramatic surge in the number of seafarers seeking help on account of the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is spotlighting the plight of men and women left stranded since port restrictions worldwide have largely banned crew changes as well as disembarkation.

Two to three months of lockdown has given us all a bitter taste of what it means to be deprived of spending time with family and friends. If it is much worse for the elderly as well as those suffering from chronic disease who are still unable to leave home, spare a thought to seafarers. For they are the ones who already have a 4-hour on/off daily schedule, cramped living/relaxing spaces, poor or limited internet access, loneliness (exacerbated by the not-so-smooth working/socialising within a multinational workforce), and above all a life-threatening job as their career staple.

Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, few seafarers have been able to go home and this has been fraught with costly shore passes, problematic access to transport especially were flights are concerned and fears of contagion. The norm of minimum crewing levels has also rendered readily available cover unachievable while making logistics even more of a headache.

Limited shore leave for seafarers is unsurprisingly taking its toll and aggravating mental strain. The latest Seafarers Happiness Index report for Q1 2020 shows a drop from 6.39 to 6.30 when compared to the last quarter of 2019. While the main issues raised by crews who participated in the survey remain workload, shore leave, and interaction of crew on board outbreaks of coronavirus onboard vessels have also been aggravated by the impossibility to keep up social distancing on ships.

Furthermore, extended contracts to counteract disembarkation bans are translating into increased workloads and intensified social conflicts on board with the result that seafarers are feeling more exhausted, isolated, and stressed. The risks of undermining work and safety standards are real. Q2 is bound to show an even unhappier picture since the lifting of some restrictions on land only began in May.

Consequently, 24/7 helplines such as SeafarerHelp (run by International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network) are proving indispensable in offering much needed emotional support, guidance regarding financial matters as well as news updates about visas and changing port procedures. Their triple increase in calls last month, when compared to April 2019, has led to an expansion of the helpline’s remote workforce to cope with the steep surge in calls.

Sailor’s Society has also set up a COVID-19 dedicated helpline to offer confidential 24/7 support together with virtual chaplaincy services to seafarers and their families in these challenging times. This international welfare maritime charity tells a similar story of a dramatic spike in calls voicing burnout, anxiety about loved ones as well as job loss because redeployment has virtually ground to a halt. Generous donations from individual patrons and shipping companies have enabled Sailors’ Society to offer grants to help seafarers and their families get through periods of dried up income. Seafarers can also access practical resources via the society’s advice hub.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations led to about 150,000 crew changes per month in order to ensure safety, crew health and wellbeing, and prevent fatigue. The upheaval caused by the pandemic has not only rendered it impossible to adhere to these regulations but also to extended work contracts prolonging long periods spent at sea. Yet another extension has just come into force following an agreement between shipping employers and trade unions to give time for governments to implement IMO protocols covering ship crew changes during the pandemic which is easing in some parts of the world but still raging in others.. This essentially means yet another month at sea increasing the mental strain of all the men and women on board.

Although restrictions to crew changes were initially introduced to prevent contagion of the COVID-19 virus, long hitches at sea cannot be extended indefinitely. For this reason on May 5, the IMO has published recommendations in a circular letter to its Member States informing them of measures to facilitate and step up long overdue ship crew changes.

While the pandemic is offering an opportunity to accelerate remote technology in ship to shore operations including drone inspections, video internal audits and certification course via webinars - all of which save time and money - it is crucial to improve basic connectivity to enable crews on board to constantly keep in touch with their loved ones to overcome feelings of isolation. Constant and reliable internet access also helps crews to follow the rationale behind COVID-19 measures taken onshore that affect them directly enabling them to feel more protected.

On May 1, ships berthed in ports and harbours sounded their horns to pay tribute to seafarers maintaining global supply chains in such trying times. A fitting as this was on Labour Day, seafarers and their mental well-being in particular, need to remain on the front burner because they are the backbone of seabourn transport that accounts for over 90% of global trade. Although not as visible and engaged in a totally different line of work from doctors, nurses, and paramedics, they too are on the frontline in this utterly devastating and totally disruptive pandemic.

Articles & Presentations

  • 2020
  • 2019
  • 2018
  • 2017
  • Show/Hide Other Dates

Resources

Resources

Articles & Presentations

Covid-19 is putting seafarers’ mental health on the front burner About time too

Focus on seafarers’ mental well-being has been gaining more coverage over the past couple of years. But the dramatic surge in the number of seafarers seeking help on account of the adverse impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is spotlighting the plight of men and women left stranded since port restrictions worldwide have largely banned crew changes as well as disembarkation.

Two to three months of lockdown has given us all a bitter taste of what it means to be deprived of spending time with family and friends. If it is much worse for the elderly as well as those suffering from chronic disease who are still unable to leave home, spare a thought to seafarers. For they are the ones who already have a 4-hour on/off daily schedule, cramped living/relaxing spaces, poor or limited internet access, loneliness (exacerbated by the not-so-smooth working/socialising within a multinational workforce), and above all a life-threatening job as their career staple.

Ever since the outbreak of the pandemic, few seafarers have been able to go home and this has been fraught with costly shore passes, problematic access to transport especially were flights are concerned and fears of contagion. The norm of minimum crewing levels has also rendered readily available cover unachievable while making logistics even more of a headache.

Limited shore leave for seafarers is unsurprisingly taking its toll and aggravating mental strain. The latest Seafarers Happiness Index report for Q1 2020 shows a drop from 6.39 to 6.30 when compared to the last quarter of 2019. While the main issues raised by crews who participated in the survey remain workload, shore leave, and interaction of crew on board outbreaks of coronavirus onboard vessels have also been aggravated by the impossibility to keep up social distancing on ships.

Furthermore, extended contracts to counteract disembarkation bans are translating into increased workloads and intensified social conflicts on board with the result that seafarers are feeling more exhausted, isolated, and stressed. The risks of undermining work and safety standards are real. Q2 is bound to show an even unhappier picture since the lifting of some restrictions on land only began in May.

Consequently, 24/7 helplines such as SeafarerHelp (run by International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network) are proving indispensable in offering much needed emotional support, guidance regarding financial matters as well as news updates about visas and changing port procedures. Their triple increase in calls last month, when compared to April 2019, has led to an expansion of the helpline’s remote workforce to cope with the steep surge in calls.

Sailor’s Society has also set up a COVID-19 dedicated helpline to offer confidential 24/7 support together with virtual chaplaincy services to seafarers and their families in these challenging times. This international welfare maritime charity tells a similar story of a dramatic spike in calls voicing burnout, anxiety about loved ones as well as job loss because redeployment has virtually ground to a halt. Generous donations from individual patrons and shipping companies have enabled Sailors’ Society to offer grants to help seafarers and their families get through periods of dried up income. Seafarers can also access practical resources via the society’s advice hub.

Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations led to about 150,000 crew changes per month in order to ensure safety, crew health and wellbeing, and prevent fatigue. The upheaval caused by the pandemic has not only rendered it impossible to adhere to these regulations but also to extended work contracts prolonging long periods spent at sea. Yet another extension has just come into force following an agreement between shipping employers and trade unions to give time for governments to implement IMO protocols covering ship crew changes during the pandemic which is easing in some parts of the world but still raging in others.. This essentially means yet another month at sea increasing the mental strain of all the men and women on board.

Although restrictions to crew changes were initially introduced to prevent contagion of the COVID-19 virus, long hitches at sea cannot be extended indefinitely. For this reason on May 5, the IMO has published recommendations in a circular letter to its Member States informing them of measures to facilitate and step up long overdue ship crew changes.

While the pandemic is offering an opportunity to accelerate remote technology in ship to shore operations including drone inspections, video internal audits and certification course via webinars - all of which save time and money - it is crucial to improve basic connectivity to enable crews on board to constantly keep in touch with their loved ones to overcome feelings of isolation. Constant and reliable internet access also helps crews to follow the rationale behind COVID-19 measures taken onshore that affect them directly enabling them to feel more protected.

On May 1, ships berthed in ports and harbours sounded their horns to pay tribute to seafarers maintaining global supply chains in such trying times. A fitting as this was on Labour Day, seafarers and their mental well-being in particular, need to remain on the front burner because they are the backbone of seabourn transport that accounts for over 90% of global trade. Although not as visible and engaged in a totally different line of work from doctors, nurses, and paramedics, they too are on the frontline in this utterly devastating and totally disruptive pandemic.