Issue 245 Jan/Feb 2017
Cash-strapped owners ‘skimp on security’
Good and bad news on crew kidnappings
THE extremely poor shipping markets of the past few years have led to a ‘race to the bottom’ when it comes to providing armed security guards for merchant ships, says Graeme Brooks, CEO of specialist security consultancy Dryad Maritime, which does not provide armed guards but does offer advice on protecting ships. When armed guards were first put on ships, says Mr Brooks, those contracted by major shipping companies were generally well trained, experienced ex-soldiers, with the UK-based agencies typically providing four former Royal Marines for about US$40,000 for a ten-day transit of the danger area. Today the price is likely to be about US$8,500 for a team of two. Mr Brooks says there has been an inevitable drop in the quality of the
Credit: Dryad Maritime
In 2009, when the Indian Ocean piracy crisis came to a head, a typical security team consisted of four experienced ex-soldiers. Not any more, warns a top security expert armed pirates in a small GRP boat because there is cover from fire on a ship but there is no such cover in a small boat. However, he cautions: “ The problems are warning and reaction times. The guards are the primary lookouts but they must Dryad simulates a pirate attack. In reality, would today’s also keep other armed guards be able to stop them? watchkeepers focused on the guards as the very difficult market threat. Spotting a vessel too late conditions facing shipowners have can lose the situation for you. led them to going for the cheapest You need to react, call the offwatch guard and, possibly, get option. A former naval officer, he the weapons out of storage. That says that one person on a stable can take too long when pirates are platform will overcome eight speeding towards you.”
A NEW international campaign has been launched to raise awareness of the increasing number of maritime cyber threats to international shipping, ports and offshore operations. The Be Cyber Aware At Sea campaign was launched by cyber security trainer JWL International in October and is supported by a number of organizations, including marine insurer North P&I Club. Through the campaign’s website at www.becyberawareatsea.com it encourages the sharing of research data and provides best-practice cyber guidelines and educational articles, to help all stakeholders understand the challenges and threats the digital era brings to shipping and offshore operations. North has also made a series of campaign posters available for
free download from the website and is distributing hard copies to members via its Signals loss prevention newsletter. North’s deputy loss prevention director, Colin Gillespie, says: “Shipowners and crews are faced with many operational demands and dealing effectively with cyber risks is yet another challenge. Raising awareness of the risks is the first step in reducing the threat to shipping companies’ commercial networks.” Meanwhile major ship operator Thome says it takes cyber security very seriously and continuously monitors its protocols and procedures to keep up to date with the ever-changing cyber threats and technological advances in cyber security. “A significant portion of cyber
Credit: North P&I Club
Cyber security campaign launched
THE surviving 26 remaining hostages taken off the Naham 3 have been released by Somali pirates after over four years in captivity. The Oman-flagged fishing vessel was hijacked in 2012, roughly 65 nautical miles south of the Seychelles. Of the original 29-member crew, one died during the hijacking and two more succumbed to illness, according to Hostage Support Partners, which announced their release. The Naham 3 crew came from Cambodia, China, Indonesia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. However, in November, it was reported that six crew members from the Vietnam-registered Royal 16 had been kidnapped in Philippine waters. The bulk carrier was heading from Hai Phong, Vietnam, to Davao when she was attacked in the Basilan Strait. The Mission to Seafarers Founded in 1856, and entirely funded by voluntary donations, today’s Mission to Seafarers offers emergency assistance, practical support, and a friendly welcome to crews in 260 ports around the world. Whether caring for victims of piracy or providing a lifeline to those stranded in foreign ports, we are there for the globe’s 1.5 million merchant seafarers of all ranks, nationalities and beliefs. The Sea is distributed free to seafarers through chaplains and seafarers’ centres. You can also arrange to receive it for a suggested donation of £3.50 or $5 per year (six issues). To find out more, contact: Jos Standerwick, The Sea, The Mission to Seafarers, St Michael Paternoster Royal, College Hill, London, UK EC4R 2RL
New campaign highlights cyber risks
threats arrive in the form of email so we have invested in a layered approach in our network security systems to weed out these increasingly sophisticated attacks,” says Claes Eek Thorstensen, president of the Thome Group.
T: +44 (0)20 7246 2981 E: jos.standerwick@missiontoseafarers.org The Sea Editor: Carly Fields News: David Hughes Assistant Editor: Lara Shingles
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theSea | Jan/Feb 2017
Crew expected to stop stowaways NEW guidance from marine insurer UK P&I Club on preventing stowaways boarding ships in South African ports says a crew member should be posted at the bottom of gangways and they must not allow anybody to push past them to get on to the gangway. However, when asked by the Sea how seafarers should stop somebody pushing by, the insurer issued a clarification. It said: “The gangway watchman’s duty is to ensure the safety of the vessel and therefore he should bar the way until proper identification is produced. This need not be done physically but by means of a chain or gate across the gangway. The crew should not put themselves in harm’s way, and are not trained to do so, but should do everything short of physically restraining the individual.”
Filipino ferry crew training initiative A NEW training course for crews of domestic ferries in the Philippines was announced at the Interferry Conference in Manila, the Philippines, in October. Damen Shipyards Group and Netherlands Shipping Training Centre will jointly provide training on the International Safety Management Code, crew and crisis management and crosscultural differences.
US allows Hanjin crews shore leave AFTER protests by seafarer welfare organizations, including The Mission to Seafarers, and by US dockers, against the denying of shore leave in American ports to crews of ships owned by the bankrupt South Korean company, Hanjin Shipping, the policy changed in mid-October when the crew of the Hanjin Seattle were allowed shore leave at the US port of Seattle.
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Protecting skin from sun and chemicals New guidelines outline several measures for seafarers to ensure time spent in the sun is beneficial, not detrimental, to their personal health IN THE fifth of a series of articles produced jointly with the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) to provide guidance and practical tips to promote good crew health, marine insurer North P&I Club explains how seafarers can protect their skin while on board. North says there are many measures that can be taken to ensure time spent in the sun is beneficial, not detrimental, to personal health. These are especially relevant to ships’ crews who often have to work in hot climates, on deck, with exposure to the sun. The guide highlights World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations. These include limiting time in the midday sun as the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays are strongest two hours each side of solar noon. WHO also advises using shade wisely, recommending seafarers to seek shade when UV rays are the most intense. North says that the shadow rule: “Short shadow, seek shade!” may be helpful. Wearing protective clothing is
The sun and chemicals used on board ship can cause severe skin injuries
also important. A hat with a wide brim and tightly woven, loosefitting clothes, provide protection from the sun. And sunglasses that filter all UVA and UVB radiation will greatly reduce the risk of eye damage. Using sunscreen is another obvious measure. North says: “A broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15+ should be used, and should be reapplied at least every two hours.”
It adds: “Remember, don’t prolong your stay in the sun even if you have used sunscreen.” When working with chemicals, as during cleaning and maintenance operations, North says protective clothing should always be worn. It warns that, “if skin is exposed to chemicals, side effects such as drying and irritation of the skin, permanent skin damage, allergic reactions and more serious side effects such as cancer can occur.”
Fishing vessel safety guide caters for new crew members A NEW safety guide, aimed primarily at young people joining fishing vessels for the first time, has been produced. Called Safe Out, Safe Home: A Safety Guide for New Fishing Crew, the new graphic-novel-style guide, published by specialist fishing industry insurer Sunderland Marine, is designed to give young entrants to the fishing industry a quick introduction to the safety training and familiarisation they should receive on board. It is also intended to prompt skippers to provide this. According to Alvin Forster, loss prevention executive at Sunderland Marine’s parent company, North Group, many incidents are due to safety management failures.
Credit: Sunderland Marine
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New guide aims to protect young fishers
“Fishing boats are exciting and rewarding places to work, but newcomers should know that working at sea is very different to working on land,” says Forster. “It is a constantly moving and
changing place, where the unexpected often happens. It is also isolated, with only the crew members to keep each other safe, meaning that teamwork is essential. We hope this guide will help new joiners play their full part, as much for their own safety as for the safety of the rest of the crew, as well as prompting skippers to take responsibility for advising their crew on the risks and how they should prepare for them.” The guide takes the reader through the basic familiarisation procedures that should take place on every fishing boat, and covers safety clothing and equipment, and how to respond in an emergency.
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theSea | Jan/Feb 2017
Hepatitis B warning given to seafarers
New seafarers’ entertainment service
Seafarers must protect themselves from this killer disease, which is spread by contact with blood and by unsafe sex, warns a top doctor in this field blood donors and safe sex using barrier methods.” Dr Balaji also warns that “circumstances that put individuals at risk of contracting the disease include unsterile medical equipment, handling clinical waste, intravenous drug abuse and sexual contact”.
infectious than HIV, with 1030 million individuals infected each year. The disease leads to life-long infection, cirrhosis, hepatato-cellular carcinoma and liver failure with a million people dying each year from hepatitis B and its complications, with most people not having symptoms until Credit Joanna M. Rippee
MANY potential seafarers are failing their medicals because they have hepatitis B, while serving seafarers can also be at risk and should be vaccinated against the disease, according to a specialist. Contracting hepatitis B is the main reason potential seafarers fail their pre-sea medicals, says Dr Balaji of Balaji Medical Centre, a clinic which is part of marine insurer UK P&I Club’s Preemployment Medical Examination (PEME) network. Dr Balaji says: “Hepatitis B is easily preventable by vaccination and safe health practice, yet it still kills more people worldwide than HIV/AIDS. It is also the number one reason for crew failing their PEME and 9.6 per cent of all unfit crew were found to have the disease.” He adds: “In order to prevent crew from contracting the disease there are highly effective recombinant vaccines available. It is not a mandatory requirement to have received a vaccine to work on board, although it is highly advisable. Additional preventative measures include the screening of
Seafarers should be vaccinated against hepatitis B, say medical specialists
He explains just how dangerous the disease is: “The disease is caused by a virus that infects the liver and is 50-100 times more
it is too late. The main symptoms are fatigue, abdominal pain, and jaundice (yellow colouration of the skin).”
More scrubbers to be fitted on board as sulphur cap is confirmed A NEW limit on the amount of sulphur allowed in ship’s fuel will come into effect in 2020 and is likely to lead to a surge in the ordering of exhaust gas cleaning systems, or ‘scrubbers’. As widely expected, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) confirmed in October that a limit of 0.50 per cent sulphur in fuel will come into force in 2020 for everywhere outside Emission Control Areas (ECAs), where a stricter 0.10 per cent limit already applies. This move, by IMO’s marine environment protection committee (MEPC), has been well received by environmental organizations and many in the shipping industry. The International Bunker Industry
Sulphur cap to bolster scrubber sales
Association (IBIA) had, though, argued unsuccessfully for a phased introduction. The Exhaust Gas Cleaning Systems Association (EGCSA) is
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confident scrubber sales are set to surge. The chief executive officer of EGCSA member, Cleanmarine, Nils Hoy-Petersen, said there would be little to hold back greatly increased scrubber production. He said that while very large vessels with main engines of over 50MW had not had scrubbers fitted yet, virtually all types of ships had had installations fitted. He added that naval architects and project managers, essential for design and programme management, would be available partly due to an oil industry slump. The MEPC also agreed to develop a Road Map for addressing CO2 emissions from ships with initial CO2 reduction commitments, to be agreed by IMO by 2018.
US-BASED KVH Industries is launching a new digital content service for crew. It says its ‘nextgeneration’ NEWSlink Live service enables seafarers to receive “richer, more dynamic news, sports, finance, and entertainment content on their personal devices”. KVH says the service builds on its existing NEWSlink service, in use on more than 9,000 vessels worldwide. KVH adds that the new service supports all computers and mobile devices for easy access, while optimising satellite communications, bandwidth and costs.
Insufficient maintenance is ‘causing ER fires’
A LACK of maintenance has led to a significant increase in engine-room fires according to surveying company BraemarSA. Its Asian team dealt with five engine fires in the third quarter of 2016, compared to just two in the second. Far East regional director Graeme Temple said these fires were typically caused by volatile vapours touching hot surfaces due to technical failures caused by a lack of maintenance and of basic routine visual inspection.
Crew wage levels ‘could fall’ in 2017 AFTER years of increases, seafarers’ wages are unlikely to rise much in the coming year and could even fall, according to shipping accountant Moore Stephens. Its shipping & transport partner, Richard Greiner, says crew wages could rise less than had been expected. He adds that some replies to his firms OpCost survey even predicted that, despite the entry into force of the Maritime Labour Convention 2006, wages could go down, due largely to the combination of a reduction in global trade and “wider recourse to cheaper, less experienced manning alternatives”.
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Credit: Royal Caribbean
One seafarer was killed and four others badly injured during a lifeboat drill on the world’s largest cruise ship
A life saver that doesn’t live up to its name Thirty years after enclosed lifeboats were introduced seafarers are still being killed during drills By David Hughes
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HE death of a seafarer and severe injuries to four others during a lifeboat drill on the world’s largest cruise ship, Harmony of the Seas, in October last year shone a rare public spotlight on what many in shipping believe is a most appalling scandal. For 30 years seafarers have been dying when practising using, or while maintaining, equipment put on board for the sole purpose of saving their lives. Tell people outside the industry what is happening and the response is almost always that they can’t believe it. In the case of the Harmony of the Seas the boat the five men were in fell 10 metres into the water during a port call at Marseilles. It is not yet clear how the accident happened but, of course, an investigation is under way. However, this is only
the latest in a long line of broadly similar accidents. Anuj Velankar, P&I executive and loss prevention advisor, UK P&I Club, recently highlighted just how big an issue this is. He said: “A study in 2014 by a UK safety group using accumulated data over a 10-year period indicated that incidents involving lifeboats and their launching systems had caused nearly 16 per cent of the total lives lost by merchant mariners. Even more survived lifeboat incidents but suffered severe injuries of the spine and lower extremities. All of these accidents occurred during training exercises or drills, supervised by qualified, experienced seafarers.”
Design evolution Until the late 1980s merchant ships’ lifeboats were open boats lowered to the water from their davits by wires (‘falls’) led through blocks which had a chain link at the
bottom from which the boat was suspended. That system was simple and easy to operate, at least in calm conditions. Releasing the lifeboat was just a matter of slipping the links from hooks at either end of the boat. In the weather conditions usually prevailing during boat drills there was little danger of serious accidents, though fingers could get caught between hook and link and a swinging block could do damage to a head that got in the way. The problem was that launching a lifeboat in rough conditions could be extremely hazardous. If both falls couldn’t be let go at the same time there was a real danger that the boat could be up ended and everybody in her thrown out. Also in rough weather an open boat could be capsized. For tankers there was the additional hazard of oil on the water catching fire. An open boat offered no protection then.
So in 1983 the International Maritime Organization (IMO) amended the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) to make most ships carry fully enclosed, self-righting lifeboats and passenger ships to be fitted with semi-enclosed boats. To avoid the dangers of unhooking, and for other practical reasons, enclosed lifeboats are fitted with on-load release hooks which are operated by a lever, to be operated just before reaching the water. The 1983 amendment also allowed for ships to be fitted with free-fall lifeboats, installed aft, instead of davit-launched ones. Again, these are released by operating a lever which trips an on-load release mechanism. The 1983 rules came into force in 1986 for new ships and since then there has been a steady stream of deaths and serious injuries caused by the unintended release of lifeboats. So we now
missiontoseafarers.org have a situation where lifeboats are likely to be better at saving life in a real emergency but have proved in many cases to be a killer during drills and maintenance. Capt Velankar explained: “As the design of lifeboats has progressed, the requirement to understand the mechanics of launching operations has become more complicated. Merchant ships, such as tankers and bulk carriers, are progressively losing touch with the maintenance of wires and ropes due to lack of routine. Release mechanisms are often very poorly understood on ships today and this is leading to increasing detentions and delays for shipowners. “In one incident”, he said, “the UK Club dealt with an incident involving the release mechanism of a safety hook, which opened without any physical action by the crew. The lifeboat fell more than eight metres to the water, causing three crew members to sustain fractures to their ankles, legs and spine. “An investigation revealed that the hoisting wire became kinked on the drum, the mass force of that action caused the hook to release without any contact by a crew member. The recommendation was to replace the safety hooks with a modified version which included a safety lock pin.”
Locking pin debate Fitting a safety-locking pin appears to be a logical step to take although not all experts would agree. One expert who does believe pins should be in place in all but the most extreme circumstances or
missiontoseafarers immediately prior to releasing the boat just above the water is Allan Graveson, senior national secretary of seafarers’ union Nautilus International. He told The Sea his view was that not only should pins be in during drills and when crew were working in the boat carrying out maintenance, but they should be in all the time and
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FlyingAngelNews However, not all accidents relate to the on-load release hooks. Wires and winches can also fail. Sometimes working out what caused a lifeboat related accident can be very difficult. Capt Velankar commented that some lifeboat incidents could be explained by the experts. He said: “In another recent example, a
As the design of lifeboats has progressed, the requirement to understand the mechanics of launching operations has become more complicated. only removed if required for a very hurried abandon ship situation. He says the pins should stay in even during an orderly evacuation into the boats. In 2011 IMO agreed a set of new and stricter safety standards aimed at reducing the likelihood of the hooks being released by accident. The amendments entered into force on 1 January, 2013. They require all ships, regardless of build date, to identify existing on-load release hooks in lifeboats that do not comply with the new standards and to replace them with compliant hooks by, at the very latest, 1 July, 2019.
lifeboat drill injury occurred when a boat was being raised by a winch to within a foot or two of being in the fully stowed position. The winch was automatically programmed to stop at this point, as the rest of the stowing was done by use of a hand crank on deck.” In this case something went badly wrong. He added: “All mechanisms were working properly but when a crew member inserted the hand crank to fully stow the boat, the hand crank suddenly began to rotate and whipped around and struck the crew member in the head causing injury and hearing loss. There was
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no brake malfunction and the incident could not be duplicated in further testing. There was corrosion on the electrical panel and some improper fuses in place, but the investigation was inconclusive as to the cause of the hand crank failure.” Capt Velankar asserted: “A number of lessons can be learned from these unfortunate incidents: the entire crew should be capable of operating lifeboat systems and understanding the mechanics and procedures, even with minimum training or experience. Communication between the crew during drills must be clear, with confirmed completion of each step throughout the exercise. When the design of the lifeboat launch system and its components are complicated, crew members should consistently train on the operation, repair and maintenance of the entire lifeboat system.” He added: “Continuous training of staff and rigorous risk assessment procedures are essential to counter lack of familiarity with lifeboats among crew members. The most effective training for the seafarers is for them to know why something is done in a particular way, and to better understand the procedures – not just remember them. “Training should specifically address the launching of lifeboats, the correct maintenance and handling procedures in order to enable seafarers to safely use and maintain the equipment under all conditions. “Drills must be reliable and safe, with minimum risk to those participating. The International
Free-fall lifeboat concerns remain FREE-FALL lifeboats are now fitted on many ships and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) advises that they should be installed on bulk carriers. This type of lifeboat can be launched whatever the trim or list of the ship. However, these boats have also been involved in accidents, sometimes fatal, including accidental launchings. In 2012 IMO recognised that operational testing of free-fall lifeboats with crew members on board posed a safety risk to those involved in the launch. As a result a new regulation entered into force in January 2014 concerning the operational testing of free-fall lifeboats. IMO now permits vessels to conduct a simulated launch in place of an actual launch for free-fall lifeboats or an actual launch with just an operational crew on board. A simulated launch involves the boat moving only a short distance when the hook is released. Currently there is no clear definition in the IMO regulation of a simulated launch but a review is currently under way to remedy this. n
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Simulated free-fall boat launches could avoid putting crew at risk
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Maritime Organization amended SOLAS in 2006 and 2008 to address conditions under which lifeboat drills are conducted, and to introduce changes to the maintenance and inspection requirements, and drills without requiring crew members to be on board the boat. “ These reviews included guidance for the launch of free-fall lifeboats during drills, and the servicing of launching systems and on-load/off-load release mechanisms. The intent is to prevent accidents and instil confidence in the crew members during abandon ship drills.”
Not enough time
“Skimping on training to save money is not an option and can cost lives,” he continued. “A lifeboat and its launching system is designed, built, tested and installed to a set of strict guidelines so it should be possible to safely embark and launch it even in rough weather, and under the worst trim and list conditions of the vessel.” Norsafe made the point that IMO “constantly reviews and implements changes to equipment and procedures to help reduce accidents in co-operation with LSA manufacturers but none of these will be beneficial unless crew are thoroughly trained and are confident in using the LSA on board”. Having crew who are well trained and proficient in operating lifeboats is particularly important on cruise ships. The body representing cruise ship operators, the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), gave The Sea a statement outlining its policy on lifeboat safety. This noted that SOLAS requires all ships, including cruise ships, to carry out emergency training and drills, and requires every crew member with assigned emergency duties to be familiar with these duties before the voyage begins. It went on to say that crew members were required to participate in at least one abandon ship drill (and one fire drill) every month, and that
Credit: IMO
In similar vein, lifeboat manufacturer Norsafe noted that a Seafarers International Research Centre report found that tight vessel schedules often did not allow sufficient time for drills and crew were often too frightened to take part as they had not been properly trained in using the equipment. “A lifeboat is your last chance to evacuate a vessel, when it is not safe to be on board or use other means of evacuation so it is vital that crew are properly trained on the lifesaving appliances (LSA) and take part in regular drills,” said Endre Eidsvik, a Norsafe senior vice president.
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IMO has acted to improve the safety of lifeboat hooks but accidents are still happening
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such drills were required to be conducted as if there were an actual emergency. In this context, said the CLIA statement, SOLAS required at least one lifeboat to be lowered during each abandon ship drill and
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policy that at least one lifeboat on each ship is to be filled with crew members equal in number to its certified number of occupants at least every six months. Under this policy, for safety considerations,
Skimping on training to save money is not an option and can cost lives. also required that each lifeboat be launched, and manoeuvred in the water by its assigned operating crew, at least once every three months during an abandon ship drill. The statement also said that CLIA ocean-going Cruise Line Members were subject to CLIA policies, which “remain under continuous review” and that those policies included one on lifeboat loading for training purposes which adds to, and goes above and beyond the SOLAS requirements.
Safety considerations The CLIA’s current policy states: “To facilitate training for lifeboat operations, CLIA ocean-going Cruise Line Members have adopted a
the loading of lifeboats for training purposes is to be performed only while the boat is waterborne and the boat should be lowered and raised with only the lifeboat crew on board. Lifejackets should be worn. All lifeboat crew and embarkation/ boarding station crew are to be required to attend the lifeboat loading drill. If not placed inside the lifeboat, those crew members are to observe the filling of the lifeboat to its certified number of people.” While focusing on training the crew to cope with the varied and complex lifeboat launching systems that are found on ships appears logical in the context of where the industry is now, Mr Graveson told The Sea that this was the wrong way of looking at the problem. He said seafarers were being blamed for accidents when the basic issue was that the equipment they were being asked to use and maintain was “not fit for purpose”. To deal with the complexities of current lifeboat launching systems, he said, crew should be taught how to operate particular equipment ashore, and not on the ship. Referring to accidents caused by wires failing, he said all wires should be renewed by specialist shore staff, every two to two-anda-half years. More generally, Mr Graveson said that all maintenance of lifeboats and equipment should be done by specialist shore-based staff and not the ship’s crew. IMO and the shipping industry are some way from accepting that proposal but both are under mounting pressure to at last get to grips with the shockingly unacceptable situation of seafarers being killed by the very equipment intended to save them. n
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The misfortunes of seafarers aboard ships False alarms, increasing ship sizes and step changes in technology are just some of the issues at the heart of today’s maritime mishaps
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Credit: U.S. Navy, 3rd Class Mark J. Rebilas
OME of us get very concerned when the nextdoor neighbour’s security alarm goes off with a piercing bleep, invariably because a cat has set it off. Hopefully, it is a rare occurrence. Aboard ship, false alarms have become something of a perpetual nuisance, as ever-more complex equipment is installed in the bridge and engine-control room alike.
By Michael Grey But what is more of a safety concern is the problem that if false alarms are too regular (as they clearly are), on the rare occasions when it is a genuine alert, nobody may notice. It is a dilemma facing watchkeepers aboard ship, who often find themselves multi-tasking in congested waters, as a contrast to being bored when there is not a lot going on. It is also a fact that people driven to the edge of madness by false alarms very often will override, mute, or even turn the wretched things off, which may subsequently be identified as the ‘root cause’ of something really bad happening. Accident investigators have flagged up this problem, but the solution will really only be found when the manufacturers produce rather more reliable equipment that is not driving everyone crazy all the time by ‘crying wolf’. It probably helps us a good deal to read about other people’s maritime misfortunes, hence the huge readership of publications like the UK Marine Accident Investigation Branch Safety Digest. It reminds people that such misfortunes could quite as easily happen to them. The annual Safer Seas Digest of the US National Transportation Safety Board is another good catalogue of other people’s misfortunes, designed to instruct. The latest offers a variety of lessons, such as the inadvisability
Performing a proper watch includes looking out of the bridge windows
of distractions which take people’s minds off the job. A collision, it reports, was caused when the officer of the watch allowed himself to be completely engrossed in the task of completing no fewer than three safety forms. It sounds ironic, but it is not hard to imagine how priorities get skewed by the apparent importance of paperwork. I can recall doing chart corrections in the middle of the Pacific when the steward brought up my afternoon tea and asked if he could borrow my binoculars “to look at that ship”. “Help yourself,” I replied and then raised my eyes from the chart table to see a fishing boat – almost the only ship we were to encounter on an 18-day crossing – about five miles away on the starboard bow. That was a valuable lesson, although it was one I kept to myself!
Let’s talk Language and communication are also a regular source of maritime
mishap, which perhaps ought to surprise nobody in an era when so many ships carry multinational crews. The US publication reports a confused scenario on a large ship under pilotage running aground when the engine did not respond when it was urgently wanted. This was all made a good deal worse when the master, officer of the watch and helmsman all reverted to their own language, leaving the pilot in complete ignorance of what was going on. “Everyone panics in their own language!” – a famous saying that such incidents clearly underline. Engines, even a cursory look at the casualty columns reveal, seem to be giving a lot more trouble these days, which we are told is a factor of their complexity. It might also be something to do with the requirement to change to cleaner fuels as the ship nears port. ‘Fuel problems’ is being offered as a reason for the coughing and spluttering that sometimes confound pilots too,
as they approach tight corners. The famous ‘Murphy’s Law’ will dictate that when such a problem occurs, it will inevitably be at the most inconvenient time and place. Then there is the simple problem of ship size, with virtually every type of ship increasing its dimensions, according to the dictates of economics and with far less room for error in ports which have not increased the depth and width of channels. Even with the ship safely tied up in port, there have been cases where the bigger area exposed to the wind have seen bollards, designed for far smaller ships, wrenched out of the quay and the ship blown across a harbour. Step changes in technology, such as the move from paper to electronic charts, will also bring problems in their wake. As anyone who has tried to master a new laptop has found, the learning process may be harder than the salesman suggests! n
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The Right Crew: are you one of them? From technical skills to the right mental and personal attitude – have you got what it takes to achieve a successful career at sea? By North P&I
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ORKING aboard a ship is demanding –both physically and mentally – and at times it can be dangerous. To meet the demands of the job, and keep safe, seafarers need to have a blend of technical skills gained through training and experience, allied with the right mental and personal attitude. At North we call seafarers with these attributes ‘The Right Crew’. They are The Right Crew for shipowners to employ, and for other seafarers to work with and rely on. In order for seafarers to make the most of their blend of technical or ‘hard’ skills, obtained through
years of training and experience, they also need to have what are known as ‘soft’ skills. Soft skills allow you to interact effectively with other people. In this article, we look at some of the soft skills you can develop to help you to become part of The Right Crew.
Communication counts The Right Crew communicates e f f e c t i v e l y. Effective communication is vital to both doing your job and having good working relationships with your shipmates. Always remember that communication is a two-way process. If one party is blocking communication by their actions, information crucial to the safe and efficient operation of the vessel may not be shared or
Working together can improve the chances of fixing a problem
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The safe and efficient operation of a vessel is dependent on everyone on board being able to work together to form an effective team understood. In the graphic on the following page are some simple tips on how to make sure information is communicated freely and effectively on board your vessel. By working on your communication skills you can develop into an effective communicator. This will help you to be a good team member. It will also help you to develop friendships on board, which may improve your quality of life. The Right Crew members are also assertive; they are able to communicate in a calm and positive way, without being either aggressive or passive. Seafarers are often placed in positions where assertiveness may be important. Some examples you may have encountered might be dealing with awkward port officials or with shippers’ representatives. Often they may want something from the vessel that it is not necessarily in its or your best interests. In these cases, it is important to deal with the situation without making things worse. The art of being confident in stating a case in such situations is not about being aggressive, confrontational, or rude – it is about being assertive. Being assertive means being reasonable and keeping to the facts, removing emotion from the conversation,
being willing to say ‘no’, and, if appropriate, being willing to compromise to reach a reasonable and equitable solution.
Team players Members of The Right Crew are team players. The safe and efficient operation of a vessel is dependent on everyone on board being able to work together to form an effective team. By working as a team, critical information relating to a task is shared by everyone involved, workload is shared, reducing the potential for incidents and the time taken to complete a task is reduced. Mentoring is also important. A mentor is simply a trusted adviser. On a professional level, it’s usually someone more senior to you who can discuss issues and problems with you, and who can pass on their knowledge and experience. This should help you form your own view and understanding of particular situations. The Nautical Institute have published a book called Mentoring at Sea which looks at the subject in depth. The Institute suggests a ‘ten minute challenge’ for mariners. At its simplest, the challenge asks seafarers to take ten minutes in their day to discuss a work situation with a junior colleague. On a professional level, mentoring can have benefits for both the mentor and the
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mentored. Knowledge will pass both ways and, of course, if you are mentoring a junior you should get to a position where you are confident in their ability. Mentoring can also have benefits at a personal level as it helps promote good relations with shipmates. Are you a mentor or do you have a mentor? If not, give it some thought. Mentoring can help you to become The Right Crew.
Practicalities of seafaring Seafaring is a very practical job and most training programmes focus on the hard skills you need to do your job. The STCW Convention and Code (International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers) now includes leadership and management training. This includes soft skills concepts and practice. When you are taking part in soft skills training make the most of the opportunity. One of the best ways to develop your soft skills is to think about when things have gone well for you or your team and why that happened. Always try and recognise and reinforce good soft skills in yourself and in others. There is a lot of help available to assist you both online and in books. Developing your soft skills will increase your chances of a safe and successful career and can make you The Right Crew to be employed, to be relied upon
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theSea | Jan/Feb 2017 9
Operators’ insurance needs Owning, operating and managing a ship can be a very risky business. To provide protection from a range of financial and operational risks, shipowners arrange relevant insurance cover. There are many different insurance policies available to shipowners but the two main types of marine insurance are hull and machinery insurance (H&M) and protection and indemnity insurance (P&I). Hull and machinery insurance, provided by marine insurance companies, provides insurance cover for the ship itself and the equipment on board the ship, including the propulsion and auxiliary machinery, cargo handling and navigation equipment. H&M insurance also provides cover for the ship’s contribution to salvage, part of the liability for damage to another ship in a collision as well as ‘general average’. General average is a maritime legal agreement where all parties in a sea venture proportionally share any losses resulting from a voluntary sacrifice of part of the ship or cargo to save the whole in an emergency. Protection and indemnity insurance, or P&I insurance, is a form of mutual maritime insurance provided by P&I clubs. A P&I club is best described as an association of shipowners that have grouped together to insure each other on a mutual non¬profitmaking basis for their third-party liabilities. Due to the mutual nature of the business, shipowners are typically referred to as ‘members’ of a ‘club’. Typical P&I cover includes a wide range of liabilities,
by your colleagues and to be promoted. You can read more about attracting, recruiting and training The Right Crew in a series of briefings which can be accessed at: www.nepia.com/ publications/loss-preventionpublications/loss-prevention-
including crew illness, loss of life and personal injury to crew, passengers and others on board, cargo loss and damage, pollution by oil and other hazardous substances, wreck removal, collision and damage to property. Clubs also provide a wide range of services to their members on claims handling, legal issues and loss prevention, and often play a leading role in co-ordinating the response to, and management of, maritime casualties. Individual seafarers are much more likely to come into contact with a P&I club or its representatives, such as a club correspondent, than they would other insurers. This is due to the range of liabilities covered, and services offered, by P&I clubs. Shipowners are concerned that their insurance is adequate to cover their crews in a wide range of situations. Seafarers therefore benefit from P&I insurance in a number of ways. For example: • If you get sick or are injured on board any expenses arising from valid claims (subject to a deductible paid by the member) are met by the insuring P&I club. In addition to medical expenses the cover also includes benefits such as repatriation. • If the vessel you are on is subject to an incident the club’s network of correspondents is available to provide assistance to the vessel and its crew. P&I clubs assist in situations where crew members have been arrested following such an incident. • Loss prevention advice is offered by clubs to help keep ships and seafarers safe and healthy. n
briefings/, while posters about soft skills can be accessed at www.nepia.com/publications/ loss-prevention-publications/ posters/. n North is a marine liability insurer providing P&I, FD&D, War Risks and ancillary insurance to shipowners worldwide.
Remember, as you are the senior, this may deter juniors from speaking up
Communication tips for working with senior staff:
Be open and approachable. Do not be overbearing or angry
Ask questions
Always listen and never be dismissive
Do not be afraid to speak up
Ask questions and encourage others to ask you questions
Remember seniors are human too and should appreciate your assistance
Disseminate information to your team
Listen to what you are being told and respond appropriately
Communication tips for those in positions of authority:
Only by communicating can you become a part of the team
Tips for building a strong team on board: • Communication relating to a task should be clear and everyone’s understanding confirmed prior to starting. • If you are unfamiliar or unsure of a task do not be afraid to ask for help. • Consider and address any concerns or questions from every member of the team. • Share knowledge and experience among all members of the team. • Ensure that workload is shared appropriately among members of the team. • Encourage and assist in developing the knowledge and skills of other members of the team. • Review the outcome of a task and the effectiveness of the team in completing the task with all involved parties. • Consider social activities outside of work to assist in breaking down barriers. n
10 theSea | Jan/Feb 2017
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Global turbulence shakes the skills sector The cadet training business is facing upheaval not of its own making; one established training institution is prepared to meet the turmoil head on
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N ECONOMIC depression, the downturn in oil price, increased protectionism, and renewed talk of trade tariffs – it’s a murky world out there, especially for cadets looking to start or further their career at sea. These issues combined have substantially limited the budgets that shipping companies are making available for recruitment, education and training today.
By Carly Fields Alan Cartwright, commercial manager at UK-based Southampton Solent University’s Warsash Maritime Academy (WMA), explains to The Sea that these issues threaten to fundamentally challenge the UK maritime skills sector going forward. “Despite the very real shortages of skills in forthcoming years – to ensure the success and prosperity of the UK’s seagoing and shore maritime sectors – these global economic influences can affect the opportunities available through a UK Cadetship,” he says. And if the global economic and trade picture is grey, local issues are at play in the UK that threaten to further sap enthusiasm. Mr Cartwright believes the impact of Britain’s decision to leave the European Union, or Brexit as it is commonly referred to, could be challenging for the UK maritime sector.
“ The economic situation is beyond even the UK Government ’s power to influence; however, determined lobbying by Maritime UK and like-minded supporters of our maritime business and heritage will help to influence and ensure the success and prosperity of the UK’s seagoing and shore maritime sectors. “The crucial test for the immediate and medium-term future for Britain’s maritime prosperity will be how the Government’s determination upon a ‘hard Brexit’ turns towards reality. A priority must be to maintain integrity of UK-based maritime businesses in order to minimise a move overseas.” That could lead to a drop in demand for British officers ashore. If UK companies move offshore, the need for officer cadetships could also diminish, and – along with that – opportunities for seagoing careers among the UK’s young people. It would help if the industry could raise national awareness of the UK’s reliance upon overseas trade, and the ships and men and women who serve in that trade. This lack of appreciation can increasingly be seen in the almost total ‘sea blindness’ that affects school and college teachers and careers staff, who have little or no understanding of career opportunities for officers. “Across the UK, we need a
determined and well-funded campaign in schools and colleges to highlight the importance of the Merchant Navy, the UK maritime sector and our seafarers, and to highlight the great opportunities and rewards of a seagoing career,” says Mr Cartwright.
A ‘hard Brexit’ could lead to a drop in demand for British officers Warsash Maritime Academy is held in high regard around the world for the quality of cadets that exit its doors at the end of one of its courses. The majority of its officer cadets
Officer shortage concerns That there is a looming shortage of qualified officers to serve the growing global fleet is undisputed. What shipping companies are doing to address that gap is not so clear cut. “Whether shipping companies around the world will be willing to invest in relatively more expensive European officers – rather than cheaper labour from China, the Philippines and elsewhere – will be a good
receive sea appointments from their sponsoring companies, on completion of their qualifications. Those cadets who are sponsored by maritime charities which cannot place qualified cadets in officers’ appointments are supported by Warsash and the charities’ training
test of the reality of this shortage,” says Mr Cartwright. This shortfall has worrying implications for onshore recruitment as well: “It is certainly the case that the UK’s maritime business sectors (including London’s key markets) will, in 12-15 years, be short of officers ‘coming ashore’ to work in broking, finance, law, operations and other key disciplines of the UK’s maritime business,” warns Mr Cartwright. n
management companies in seeking sea appointments, with a high degree of success. And some good news for 2016, the Warsash Superyacht Academy, in collaboration with Trinity House and Chiltern Maritime, welcomed the first cohort for its Unrestricted Deck Officer Cadetship for Superyacht candidates. This is the first officer cadetship training programme to lead to the issue of a fully-fledged UK MCA Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) CoC tailored to the superyacht industry. Work is under way to develop this further and to encourage a greater intake in 2017, with sponsorship from other areas of the superyacht sector. n
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theSea | Jan/Feb 2017 11
Mitigating the risk of boarding a stowaway Embarking a stowaway remains a reality in many parts of the world and seafarers should know they are prepared for the sake of the ship’s security
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Credit: U.S. Navy, 2nd Class Kathryn Whittenberger
TOWAWAYS have been a problem for shipowners for as long as there have been ships at sea. For those outside the maritime industry there is still a whiff of adventure about the concept.
By Gray Page The reality is far different. Exact figures are hard to come by but a recent report by The New York Times concluded that some 2,000 stowaways are caught on ships each year. One stowaway told the journalist investigators that hiding on a ship was like being in the trunk of a car going to an unknown place at an unknown pace across a brutal terrain. Hiding places that look inviting can become deadly once a ship sets sail. “Crushed in the chain locker”, “asphyxiated by bunker fumes” and “found under a retracted anchor” are the sad epitaphs for some stowaways who went undetected until it was too late. Even finding stowaways before they come to harm can be traumatic. From the first moments after discovery – and for the stowaway’s remaining time on board – it is crucial that procedures are in place and that crew members understand how they should be followed. Ships’ agents and P&I clubs provide help and advice and, although there is no international regime dealing exclusively with stowaways, several international instruments bear on the problem. They include the UN Declaration on Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic (FAL). Fundamental to all guidance is that stowaways should never be treated in a degrading or inhumane way. That means they should be provided with water, food, clothing,
Stowaways can be found in the most unlikely of places
medical treatment (if needed), and accommodation. That accommodation should be in a secure area – possibly in a spare cabin – and should be warm and well ventilated, and with sleeping facilities and access to toilets. Stowaways should, of course, be searched for weapons and drugs and for any identification documents. They should also be told what to do in the event of an emergency, such as a fire or abandon ship.
Details matter On the principle that the more information that is known about a stowaway the easier it will be to repatriate them they should be asked their name, their last place of residence, their nationality, place and date of their birth, and, if appropriate, the nationalities of their parents. They should be asked how and where they boarded the ship and if they know of any other stowaways. The questioning should not be aggressive and all the time a meticulous log should be kept of how the stowaways are being treated.
On board, it is probably not wise to let any crew member become friendly with a stowaway, nor should any crew member enter a stowaway’s accommodation alone. In any dealings with a stowaway the rule should be always to act in pairs. Stowaways should not be allowed to move through any part of the ship unaccompanied and should never have access to any implement that could be used as a weapon. The stowaway’s status on board should always be clear. They should not be added to the crew list and there should never be any attempt to hide their presence from immigration authorities. Stowaways are a risk to themselves and to the operation of a ship. They are at the very least trespassers and their presence on board is itself a security lapse. It is far better that they never begin the attempt and certainly far better that they never breach a ship’s security shell. These are the goals, but in thousands of years of seafaring they have never been attained, or at least, never attained in the
entirety. Some parts of the world, the Gulf of Guinea for instance, or South Africa or parts of South America, become, from timeto-time, stowaway ‘hotspots’ and crew should be particularly alert in these regions. The risk of embarking a stowaway remains a reality and seafarers need to be confident that they are prepared. n Gray Page is a specialist advisory and consulting group that solves problems around the world for companies and organizations in shipping, insurance and international trade.
Who needs to know? News that a stowaway has been found should be sent to the shipowner, local agent and P&I club. A club can use its expertise and network of correspondents to find the most cost-effective option for removal and repatriation. It will get in touch with immigration authorities and embassies, procure travel documents and if necessary arrange security guards. n
12 theSea | Jan/Feb 2017
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FlyingAngelNews
Withheld pay means crews cannot help themselves out of a trap
Relief from suffering and recovery of freedom Seafarers are being reduced to living like beggars on board “abandoned” ships amid brutal market conditions in the shipping industry By Mission to Seafarers’ The Revd Dr Paul Burt
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N THE steamy heat of summer in the Middle East Gulf, air conditioning is essential if crews are to survive the rigours of living and working in such conditions. But the crew of a ship at the anchorage off Ajman in the United Arab Emirates found themselves relying on air conditioning in an even more basic way than usual: they were reduced to drinking the water that is a by-product of the air conditioner’s condenser as it dripped off the casing. The ship had been without supplies for more than two weeks; the agent had not been paid by the owner and the owner was in financial trouble. So, the men on board had nothing to keep them alive apart from drinking the water dripping from the air-conditioner, the few fish they could catch and the occasional delivery of meagre supplies from a good-hearted agent. When the young men of this
crew left their homes in Sri Lanka to work as seafarers on board a big ship they were full of hope, and pleased to have landed jobs The Revd Dr Paul Burt that meant they would be able to send home significant sums of money to provide for their families. Some months later they were reduced to living like beggars, trapped on board a ship which was to all intents and purposes abandoned. In Ajman port, we watched as a truck load of supplies was manhandled onto a small allpurpose supply boat. We had chartered the boat, ordered the food and water and we were now going out into the anchorage to deliver the emergency supplies to the crews of five ships. As well as the Sri Lankans, about 20 Filipinos were also surviving on limited resources. Perched between
dozens of boxes containing 2 litre bottles of water, cartons of frozen chickens, trays of eggs, sacks of rice, and boxes containing various sorts of fruit and vegetables, we wondered what sort of psychological condition the men would be in. On another vessel, the crew had not received any salary for
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over a year. Most of that time they were stuck in the anchorage with no means of helping themselves get out of the trap they were in. They made an SOS call to The Mission to Seafarers UAE on a phone that had almost no charge and almost no credit. A couple of weeks earlier they had made a desperate attempt to force a
As the effects of cheap oil become more and more apparent in the offshore sector of the shipping business, so too does the human cost in the industry. The first people to feel these effects are the crews.
missiontoseafarers.org resolution of their predicament by taking the vessel into the port, but the harbourmaster refused to allow them to tie up and sent them back out into the limbo of the anchorage.
Sending supplies When our little supply boat drew alongside the ship where the Sri Lankans and 20 Filipinos were it was clear that the men were in a poor state physically. Their clothes were dirty and ragged and the vessel was rusty and unloved. Yet the men were remarkably resilient and very pleased to see us and the desperately needed supplies. Unloading was a precarious operation as the swell toyed with our little supply boat. Throwing frozen chickens up on to a ship in the hope that the crew would catch them and not drop them into the sea seemed a faintly surreal way of being a MtS chaplain. One of the men clambered down on to our little boat so that he could plead with us face to face: “Sir, please take us with you to the port. We have been here so long. We cannot survive out here much longer,” he said. It was not easy telling him that we could not smuggle him and his crewmates past the watchful eye of the coastguard. As the powerful outboard motors of our little boat took us away from them on our way to the next ship they lined up on deck to wave goodbye, managing to raise a smile or two as we disappeared into the distance, waving in return. Our work on their behalf would resume the following day – calling the owner to persuade him to take responsibility for these men and their livelihoods, to say nothing of the dozens of family members in the Philippines and Sri Lanka suffering along with them. As the effects of cheap oil become more and more apparent in the offshore sector of the shipping business, so too does the human cost in the industry. Offshore supply boat operators have cash flow problems and not enough work to generate income. The first people to feel these effects are the crews, whose salaries are either reduced, or in many cases, suspended. We were delivering emergency supplies to five ships, but there was no doubt in our minds that on board several of the other 70
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theSea | Jan/Feb 2017 13
Perfect storm in the Gulf Working at sea has always been a challenging occupation. Today, and especially in the current commercial climate, the biggest threat to the wellbeing of seafarers in the waters of the Gulf is abandonment. It is extremely difficult to get an accurate figure, but my guess is that although three of the categories referred to in the statistics for the 1850s as frequent in the Gulf – ship losses, ships getting stranded, and ships disappearing never to be heard from again – are now rare; another category – abandonment – is now very far from rare.
ships in the anchorage similar desperate conditions were being experienced. We expect to be making such supply runs on a regular basis until market conditions for offshore oil improve. As we made our way back to port our little craft was empty apart from us and our two-man crew. Twenty-two knots over the waters of the Arabian Gulf creates enough slipstream to give the impression that it’s not really that hot after all. But as we tied up back at the fish market wharf in midafternoon the Arabian summer heat was undeniable. For most of the men that we had seen on those ships in the anchorage a breezy transfer to land is a fantasy mirage. The crushing reality of the summer sauna is all they can expect, until we can somehow broker their release.
At our Dubai office we receive, on average, three to four desperate calls from abandoned ships each week. On one day in 2015, I took calls from four different ships – all of them abandoned in local waters. In another case, we fed, watered and acted as advocate for a crew whose abandonment stretched to over two and a half years before we could broker their release and repatriation. The current high incidence of abandonment in the Gulf, and therefore of human suffering, can be put down to what might be called the perfect storm of brutal market conditions and cultural indifference. n
Perils of the sea The market conditions for shipping globally are tough, as we know. With so much shipping activity in the Gulf being part of the offshore oil industry the low oil price adds to the gloom as shipping companies engaged in the offshore sector feel the heat – if I can put it that way. Some medium-sized charter companies are being squeezed to death by their clients who, because of the desperate conditions, are able to ignore contractual obligations and only pay the charter companies when they feel like it, if at all. The first casualty of this common scenario is the ship’s crew, whose salaries dry up. I call the other part of the perfect storm ‘cultural indifference’, by which I mean the local context, in which labour unions are banned,
The MtS helps abandoned crews, bringing supplies to stranded ships
and seafarers (along with many other workers) have no voice and no leverage. They become, to all intents and purposes, expendable items, like lube oil, or rope, or diesel. In this setting The Mission to Seafarers has become a kind of amalgam of emergency relief agency, industry conscience, advocate for the powerless, and educator in society of what the benefits and conveniences of globalisation actually cost in human terms. One of the peculiarities of modern life is that we are connected with each other on a global scale to an unprecedented degree. Our shirts are made in Bangladesh and our wine comes from Australian vineyards. Yet the people who make all this possible, the ships’ crews, are victims of widespread ignorance and indifference. Ports, especially in the Gulf, are no go areas for most of the population. Because of the respect in which The Mission to Seafarers in Dubai is held, having operated there since 1962, the charity is uniquely placed to speak for all who work in the maritime industry, and to make a difference on behalf of seafarers whose first priority when in difficulty is that their voice should be heard. That itself brings hope, and with persistence and persuasion we can often bring about relief from suffering and the recovery of freedom – not only for the seafarer but also for his or her family, which in most cases means at least 20 people. n The Revd Dr Paul Burt is The Mission to Seafarers chaplain based in Dubai, serving Dubai and west coast UAE ports.
14 theSea | Jan/Feb 2017
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FlyingAngelNews
Relaxing should not be stressful to achieve Meditation, exercise and reaching out to fellow crew members are just some of the stress-busting techniques seafarers can use to keep a happy, healthy mind
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EING a seafarer is a difficult task. Between the minimal social life, monotonous routines and harsh working conditions, it’s easy to become affected by both physical and psychological stress while working on board. Added to this, conflicts and politics among crew members present further challenges that, for some seafarers, might feel like too much to overcome. Indeed, as recently as last year, the Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) conducted a survey to explore seafarers’ quality of life. The survey highlighted that seafarers often experience stress in their day-to-day work as well as emotional challenges that come with being away from their homes for such a long period of time. Prolonged periods of stress can be extremely harmful to individual seafarers and the rest of their crew, with continuous stress often leading to the repetition of the same mistakes: reduced work efficiency; refusal to follow instructions; negligence towards duties, and in some cases even committing serious offences against the law. There are some quick and easy techniques, however, that seafarers can use to combat stress before it interferes with their state of mind and, subsequently, their duties on board.
Meditate A few minutes of meditation each day has been proven to help ease anxiety. If you’re not an expert, don’t worry; it’s simple. Sit up straight with both feet on the floor. Next, close your eyes and focus your attention on reciting a positive mantra either out loud or silently. Let any distracting or negative thoughts float by.
Breathe deeply Deep breathing slows the heart rate and lowers blood pressure. Find a comfortable position and slowly start to inhale through
Seafarers often bear the unhealthy burden of stress
your nose, concentrating on the breath as it works its way up from your abdomen to the top of your head. Exhale through your mouth, focusing on the breath as it returns to your abdomen.
Socialise A good social network is one of the best tools you can have for handling stress. Even if you don’t feel like it, talk to others and share what’s going on – good and bad. Not only will this give you a fresh, and hopefully more positive, perspective on things but it will also keep your relationships strong.
Listen to music
Write about it
Research has shown that listening to music can lower blood pressure, heart rate and anxiety. If you have access to music, create a playlist of songs or sounds to listen to when you’re not working. Focus on the different melodies, instruments and voices as you do.
If stress is starting to interfere with your ability to work, take a few minutes to write down exactly what it is you’re worrying about. Not only will this free up a little head space and enable you to think more clearly and rationally, it will also remove some of the power of the worries; you will no longer need to be mentally vigilant enough to keep track of them. Alternatively, you could keep a gratitude journal instead, writing down all the things that are good in your life, to read back when you’re at your worst. n
Exercise From running on the spot to stretching exercises, all forms of exercise can help ease stress, depression and anxiety by releasing beneficial chemicals into your brain.
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FlyingAngelNews
theSea | Jan/Feb 2017 15
Live with the spirit of peace
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T IS the time of year when many people reflect on the world order and see only despair and despondency. Suffering and pain are all around and we cannot escape it. Social media, TV news, and even the newspapers are full of the horrors from the war torn parts of the world. Reasonable people ask the question ‘why, God’. So much of the world’s current evils are blamed on a God who allows such things to happen. There is a sense of outrage that the innocent bear the brunt of war and conflict. The defenceless are captured, used and abused and are a human shield to deter the enemy from striking. Has much changed over the centuries? Has the barbarity of the world become worse? People The dove of peace brings a message of mercy still think that so much of the world’s suffering is brought about It is mercy that the world It is into this world that Jesus and recognise the universal in the name of religion. Religion needs in abundance. It is only enters with his peace; he proclaims truth that peace is the way of is the convenient banner under when the bruised, battered and ‘blessed are the peacemakers, God. May the peace of the Christ which many perpetrate their bloodied body of Jesus is paraded for they will be called children of child continue to dwell in your atrocities, as though following through the streets of Jerusalem God’. It is not those who terrorise heart. God’s command absolves the that people are outraged by the people that are pursuing the will With this spirit of peace, torture inflicted on the innocent. of God, but the ones who ‘fashion dialogue can take place between perpetrator from culpability. The message of Christmas could The innocent may be in Aleppo their swords into ploughshares those who wish to pursue the not be further from this warped under bombardment, or in the and their spears into pruning way of violence and those who and perverse manipulation of American High school at the hooks’. try to show the ways of peace. On religion for one’s own ends. Jesus end of a gun held by a student. Following Christmas, allow ships with so many nationalities came into the world and his birth Whatever the circumstances, the peace to be your guide. Do not on board we constantly witness was one of joy. That joy turned weak, vulnerable and innocent allow your faith turn you away harmony and concord. Your into barbarism with the brutality are the ones who are defenceless. from the path of righteousness example of peace within diversity of the crucifixion, the of understandings pain and suffering could be the example striking to the core of to the world of how to live together with Jesus being. This was a respect, tolerance display of cruelty and injustice that defied and understanding of The Lord is my pilot; I shall not drift mercy. Jesus accepted each other’s guiding He lights me across the dark waters. He steers me through all of this so that people principles of faith and the deep channels could see the futility their resulting world He keeps my log. He guides me by the Star of Holiness for of violence and that view. The world should all can triumph over His Name’s sake. As I sail through the storms and tempests of life strive for universal pain and death. His acceptance of peace I will dread no danger; for You are near me; Your love and care to guide the world final steps through the shelter me through the tough streets of Jerusalem You prepare a haven before me in the Homeland of Eternity times of conflict and were ones of justice, You quieten the waves and my ship rides calmly mercy and humility – war, as we remember Surely sunlight and starlight shall be with me wherever I sail, the three virtues that the vulnerable innocent God requires of all that suffer in our and at the end of my voyaging I shall rest in the port of my God. people. prayers. n
A prayer for seafarers
Credit: Sheilapic76
The world is in urgent need of mercy; seafarers with their multi-faith surroundings should be the beacon of respect, tolerance and understanding to aspire to
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FlyingAngelNews
Taking the next step on the career ladder Hard work, perseverance and the right attitude pay off for seafarers looking to climb higher in the maritime hierarchy and become a Master or Chief Engineer
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O, YOU want to sail your way to promotion? There’s no other area of the maritime sector which offers more opportunities to get promoted
By Mark Charman than seafaring itself. However, we speak to hundreds of seafarers each month who want to move companies because they either haven’t been promoted or simply don’t know what they need to do to take that next step up. Here’s our advice on what it takes to get promoted with your current employer. Firstly, the fact is that you can’t be promoted without having the right certification to sail in the rank above. Getting your new certificate of competency (CoC) and other necessary certificates takes time, so plan carefully and reach out to the people who can give you the answers you need. Your first port of call is to contact the relevant college and find out what courses you will need to have and how much sea time you will need to do the next course. Talk to your employer or crewing manager – remember it’s a two-way relationship. Let
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them know what you’re planning to do and ask them if it fits in with their schedule. Too many times seafarers don’t inform their companies that they are planning to take leave to study. Secondly, you should get informed. Find out the promotion matrix of your current employer, understand how much sea time they need you to have before they promote you and talk to them about their realistic expectations for promotion. Be proactive and do your own research – there’s plenty of resources available online which you have easy access to. If you’re sailing on an LNG vessel, your company will need to comply with the SIGGTO matrix (www.sigtto.org) and if you’re sailing on oil or chemical tankers then they may be using the OCIMF Seagoing matrix (www.ocimf.org).
promoted it’s usually down to the fact that they require them to get more sea time in rank. You should be talking to your company or crewing manager after every trip
The choices you make now will directly impact your future career at sea or ashore. Moving companies for promotion, moving to different vessel types
Promotion realities Thirdly, understand the realities of ‘promotion recommendations’. Many seafarers get frustrated when they have recommendations for promotion but they aren’t getting promoted. The harsh reality is that a recommendation for promotion is just that! When we speak to companies about why a seafarer hasn’t been
We speak to hundreds of seafarers each month who want to move companies because they either haven’t been promoted or simply don’t know what they need to do to take that next step up
Hard work pays off if you are looking for a promotion
to find out when you can expect promotion, what areas you need to improve on and what else you need to do. Lastly, there’s no substitute for having a good attitude. Be the best you can be in every area of your job – respect everyone on board at all levels, follow operating and safety standards closely and be the person on board that people like and respect. If you do decide to leave, give the correct notice and leave on good terms. You never know when you might want to re-join them so leave them with a positive lasting impression of you. One of the first questions we ask seafarers who are looking to move companies because they haven’t been promoted is “have you asked for it?”. It’s staggering the amount of people who answer no to this question. If you’re serious about promotion, talk to your Chief Engineer or Master. Ask for promotion and be proactive by asking what else you can do on board.
or moving for better rotations or money won’t always pay off in the long term. Our advice is to take a long term view of your career and what your end goal is. Once you’ve done that look at the profiles of senior people who are in that position now. Find out which companies they worked for, how long they stayed with each employer, what vessels they sailed on and how long they took to become a Master or Chief Engineer. Try and follow in their footsteps. Remember that every company is different, but following our advice will almost certainly put you in a better position for the future. n Mark Charman is the founder and group chief executive of Fastream Recruitment Group and Fastream Executive Search, which provide recruitment solutions to the shipping and maritime, oil and gas, offshore, engineering and architecture sectors worldwide.