ITF News Update
UK Club: Why a human-centric approach to workplace safety is vital
The maritime industry has faced its fair share of challenges over a period of time, but the difficulties brought about in the past few years have been unprecedented, especially for seafarers, argue Capt. Kostas Karavasilis, Regional Loss Prevention Director (Greece) and Akshat Arora, Senior Risk Assessor, UK P&I Club.
https://safety4sea.com/uk-club-why-a-human-centric-approach-to-workplace-safety-is-vital/
‘Crew safe’: Hijacked bulker stormed by commandos after Somali attack
Piracy attempt abandoned after Indian Navy intervenes. Indian commandos have taken control of a bulker that had been boarded by suspected pirates off the coast of Somalia. The crew, including 15 Indian seafarers, have been rescued in the operation, which marks yet another piracy incident in the Indian Ocean after several years.
Red Sea Attacks Leave Shipping Companies With Difficult Choices
Attacks on two dozen ships since November are forcing shipping lines to figure out whether and when to skip the Suez Canal and send vessels on longer voyages around Africa.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/01/06/business/red-sea-shipping-houthi.html
Two seafarers die after fire on 27-year-old container ship
Investigation begins into cause of blaze on Cosco-chartered, Danaos-owned container ship. Two seafarers have been killed and a third injured on Monday after a fire aboard a container vessel in the port of Houston.
Galaxy Leader owner ‘encouraged’ by reports seafarers could soon be freed by Houthis
Ray Car Carriers says it will meet full repatriation costs for its crew members. The owner of the hijacked car carrier Galaxy Leader is hopeful that its crew members could soon be released by the Houthis.
David Appleton: the UK needs to step up for female officers
Despite considerable efforts from a number of organisations including Nautilus, female representation amongst UK officers held at just 3% in the 2022 seafarer statistics, with female deck officers and engineering officers making up 5% and 3% of the workforce respectively.
Global Shipping Facing Rough Waters
Altered shipping routes are making supply chain chaos the new normal. Maersk said Friday it would extend its diversion of vessels from the Red Sea for the “foreseeable future” due to safety concerns amid a spate of attacks by Houthi militants, reported CNBC.
https://www.convenience.org/Media/Daily/2024/Jan/8/2-Global-Shipping-Facing-Rough-Waters_Ops
UAE crackdown extends to fresh flag state popular with shadow fleet owners
Cameroon increased tonnage rapidly in 2022 as new owners turned to smaller registers. Cameroon has been added to a list of flag states whose ships are restricted from calling at United Arab Emirates ports. The registry, which is blacklisted by the Paris MoU, joins eight other flag states whose vessels cannot call into UAE ports and waters unless they have been assessed by a member of the International Association of Classification Societies or the domestic society, Tasneef.
100 incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia recorded in 2023
Natarajan, executive director of ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre, said the rising number of such armed robberies against ships was understandable and “not that alarming”, as many countries were recovering from Covid-19. SINGAPORE – A total of 100 incidents of armed robbery against ships in Asia took place in 2023, a marked increase from the 84 such incidents in 2022.
https://asianews.network/100-incidents-of-armed-robbery-against-ships-in-asia-recorded-in-2023/
Ships’ crews suffer a host of injuries and illnesses
Hand injuries are the most common reason sailors require treatment ashore. A sailor’s job can be brutally tough and dangerous, thanks to long hours and hard physical work in remote locations. That combination often leads to illness and injuries, and now a new report shows which ones are most common.
https://www.dcvelocity.com/articles/59558-ships-crews-suffer-a-host-of-injuries-and-illnesses
Women in Maritime programme enhances PNG towage
An innovative women’s cadetship programme has boosted the maritime workforce in Papua New Guinea. Pacific Towing’s (PacTow) Women in Maritime programme continues to produce new officers for Papua New Guinea’s (PNG) maritime sector.
Greater focus should be placed on recruitment of seafarers and ensuring quality crews are going onboard, says crew change specialist Boers Crew Services
Shipping companies and training centres should focus on bringing in the right people to the industry to ensure a wider pool of maritime professionals are remaining in their careers at sea, says Peter Smit, CEO of BCS Group – Boers Crew Services.
ITF calls for workers’ rights for migrant fishers
In a bid to tackle the exploitation of migrant fishing workers in UK waters, a two-year pilot programme has been launched that, if successful, will see migrant fishers working in UK waters be subject to the rights and protections of UK employment laws.
https://www.itfglobal.org/en/news/itf-calls-workers-rights-migrant-fishers
AI will change the face of seafarer training
Shipping companies have embraced e-learning and blended learning training models as the digital evolution progresses in the shipping industry. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, shipowners and managers can start using AI to boost training tools, data analysis and chatbox functions to offer 24/7 support.
https://www.rivieramm.com/news-content-hub/ai-will-change-the-face-of-seafarer-training-79121
Britannia Club releases safety video on working at height for seafarers
The Britannia Club has produced a new safety video to raise awareness of safety issues for crew members working at height. This video is the first in a series aimed at addressing the most critical safety issues facing seafarers. The video delves into the specific locations where these risks arise, the hazards involved, and most importantly, how to effectively mitigate them.
https://safety4sea.com/britannia-club-releases-safety-video-on-working-at-height-for-seafarers/