Hundreds of thousands of seafarers remain stranded either on board their vessel or in foreign ports following the onset of the pandemic. As a fallout, it is becoming increasingly urgent to return these seafarers to their home country, especially for those with underlying health conditions who may be considered vulnerable to Covid-19.
Mental health problems among seafarers are well reported and significant, therefore those who are suffering from new or worsening mental health can be considered especially vulnerable. In an open letter to his CEO peers, Chris Peters, CEO, Tristar Shipping, makes a strong case for both addressing this perceived ‘forbidden’ issue and redressing the grievances of stranded seafarers — Editor.
To my fellow CEOs,
It is time we address a topic that has forever been considered a taboo – mental health. More specifically, the subject of mental health for our seafarers should be brought to the fore and no more regarded as a backburner issue.
Seafaring can provide skilled and responsible men and women with excellent career prospects, good wages, long holidays, responsibility, travel opportunities, and job satisfaction. However, there are certain aspects of maritime life that can contribute to stress for seafarers, causing reactions which can jeopardize physical health, wellbeing, and workplace morale.
These aspects can include lack of social interaction onboard, shipboard connectivity, irregular diet and exercise, and fatigue.
This is apparent from recent data that was published by P&I Club (Protection and Indemnity), which states that suicide rates among seafarers suffering from mental health has more than tripled since 2014 from 4.4% to 15% – a percentage that is far too high.
Happiness Index plummets
The Seafarers Happiness Index, a welfare survey launched by the Mission to Seafarers and Shipowners Club, stated that in the second quarter of 2019, seafarers’ happiness went down 6.31 points as compared to the previous quarter. Adding to that is the fact that over 26% of seafarers show signs of depression according to the Sailors Society.
Seafarers can be particularly susceptible to mental health issues, as they are often far from home, with little contact with family and friends. Whilst we are all encouraged to talk about mental health, it seems that it is still a taboo subject amongst seafarers and as a result they are missing out on vital support and treatment at the early stages of a severe illness.
However, the shipping industry has increased its focus on seafarers’ mental health over the last few years, and various initiatives have been implemented across the board. In 2018, the UK Chamber of Shipping, RMT, and Nautilus International established the ‘Guidelines to Shipping Companies on Mental Health Awareness’, which encourage companies to formulate policies and adopt best practice on promoting mental health for their seafarers.
Furthermore, last year, the Mission to Seafarers announced the launch of a website for its ongoing Seafarers Happiness Index. The website seeks to act as a repository for the data collected during the survey, and to create an open framework for improvement which shipping companies can adhere to in order to build a sustainable workforce.
Communications channel
By creating a confidential channel of communication between seafarers and the industry, the website acts as a blueprint for continued improvement within the industry and one that enables institutions to make recommendations as to how shipping companies can cultivate a workplace where crew members feel happy and supported.
At Tristar Shipping, we have followed these guidelines, and have adopted several initiatives of our own to ensure the safety, and more importantly, the happiness and mental wellbeing of our crew and seafarers. This was the key issue addressed by our Group CEO, Eugene Mayne, at our inaugural ‘Safety at Sea’ Conference held last November 2019.
Before I dive into the specific initiatives, it is important for me to state that the culture in the industry must change so that seafarers are encouraged to talk about their mental health and seek support from their employer without worrying and assuming that there is a risk of losing their job.
As heads of our companies, if we don’t come together, and change the negative perception associated with mental health, we will find ourselves having incidents where a crew and vessel are endangered because a seafarer can hide his struggles with mental health and could fail to carry out a critical function safely.
‘Safety at Sea’ Conference
As a follow up to the ‘Safety at Sea’ Conference, we organized three town hall-style Psychological First Aid (PFA) workshops for vessel masters and senior officers in Mumbai, India, which garnered over 90 participants.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the PFA workshops were conducted through video conferencing, with the aim to shed light on human behaviour, signs and symptoms of a person struggling with mental health, and included situational role play to equip masters and senior officers with the skills to best deal with these symptoms.
The pandemic has forced us all to deal with the ‘unexpected’ and put in place contingency plans to further ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our staff and crew members, in which technology has played a key role.
Increased access to technology can dramatically help seafarers by enabling them to speak to their families regularly and can also serve as an outlet for training via online programs or apps. Whilst technology can be useful in many ways, it cannot replace a personal touch and so Tristar has also contracted the ‘Sailors’ Society’ to set up a 24/7 dedicated confidential helpline for all officers, crew and their families.
Crisis response assistance
The services include crisis response assistance, counselling through various channels such as email, WhatsApp and other social media chat platforms, and making appointments with counsellors on behalf of the seafarer in accordance with the ports they will visit during their contract.
The latter enables seafarers the opportunity to select a ship visit in advance and provide continuity of care by following seafarers as they move from port-to-port and ensuring that counsellors visit them.
Being a seafarer is a daunting, and sometimes lonely job. They spend numerous hours without access to family, friends, and key support. And so, I am writing this letter as a call to action. As leaders of our respective companies, we lay the foundation upon which our company principles are based.
I strongly urge you all to reassess the ways in which you are providing support to your people so that if required, additional and adequate support is provided to all seafarers across the industry.
Together with our Group CEO, Eugene Mayne, please join me and help save the lives of our employees.
Chris Peters is CEO of Tristar Shipping, part of the Dubai-headquartered Tristar Group.
