North Sea slump Union in Aberdeen as offshore crisis hits members 19
Silver service New Merchant Navy Medal gets royal approval 26-27
NL nieuws Vier pagina’s met nieuws uit Nederland 34-37
Volume 49 | Number 01 | January 2016 | £3.50 €3.70
FoC ship towed to safety in Dover Strait drama cargoship EMS Majestic is F pictured left arriving in the UK port
The flag of convenience general
of Southampton under tow of two Itchen Marine tugs following a dramatic rescue in the Dover Strait last month. The Antigua & Barbudaflagged vessel issued a Mayday call after starting to take on water in the engineroom during stormy conditions in the Channel while sailing from Rotterdam to St Malo. Two non-essential crew members on the 1,999gt vessel were airlifted to safety after reports that it had started sinking 13 miles SE of Eastbourne as the crew were unable to pump out the water. A number of vessels transiting the area responded to the distress calls and the 1,810gt seismic support vessel Thor Frigg managed
‘Industry must act on emission risks’ Study reveals that seafarers suffer from the highest occupational rates of chronic lung disease
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Nautilus has expressed concern about new research which reveals that seafarers are the workers with the highest risk of contracting chronic lung disease. A study published last month shows that seafarers have more than double to normal occupational rate of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) — a condition that is blamed for 25,000 deaths in the UK every year. COPD — an umbrella term for chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic airways disease — is a lung condition that reduces the ability to breathe properly, and causes symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughs and increased mucus production. The research, carried out by Imperial College London, suggests that exposure to particulates in ship exhaust emissions and fuels onboard may account for the high rates of COPD among seafarers. The next stage of the study — funded by the Health &
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Ships’ smoke can damage your health, researchers are warning
Safety Executive and the largest ever undertaken in Europe — will examine the potential causes more closely. Lead researcher Dr Sara De Matteis commented: ‘This study has shed more light on the specific occupations associated with an increased risk of COPD in the
UK general population. Some of them were already known, such as coal miners, but others are new findings — such as seafarers or cleaners.’ The research team analysed more than 350 occupations and the health records of more than half a million people aged
between 40 and 69. They found the rate of COPD among seafarers to be 2.64 times the average — higher than coal miners, industrial cleaners, roofers and tilers. Researchers said the many of the people in the study had been exposed to the risks decades before industrial standards and regulations introduced protection from hazardous substances —but they warned that more must to be done to monitor and minimise levels of exposure in high-risk occupations like seafaring. Dr Lisa Davies, chair of the British Thoracic Society executive committee, said workplaces have the key role in monitoring and promoting better lung health. This may include offering lung function testing, minimising exposure to chemicals and also cigarette smoking policies. ‘The occupations highlighted in this report must take the issue onboard quickly and strengthen their procedures as appropriate,’
she added. Another study published last month also warned of health hazards associated with ship emissions. Research produced by Lund University in Sweden estimated that nanoparticles — including soot particles — from shipping in the North Sea and the Baltic contribute to some 10,000 premature deaths a year. Nautilus senior national secretary Allan Graveson commented: ‘This Union has consistently, over recent years, drawn attention to the dangers of SOx, NOx and particulate matter in heavy fuel oil. ‘These findings should be considered alongside the high incidents of cancer in port areas associated with the burning of diesel oil. It is disappointing that ship owners have consistently argued against a change to cleaner fuels on cost grounds, despite the evidence that burning such fuels is injurious to health and costs countries billions.’ g UN climate change talks focus on ship emissions — see page 11.
to tow the ship to safety. A spokesman for Eastbourne RNLI said: ‘When the lifeboat arrived on scene, the stricken vessel was beam-on to the weather and being swamped in rough seas and near gale force winds. The coastguard rescue helicopter from Lydd managed to winch two of the crewmen from the deck of the pitching ship, whilst the lifeboat prepared to evacuate the others. ‘Fortunately the remaining crew succeeded in stemming the ingress of water and starting the ship’s salvage pumps and equally fortuitously a passing tug responding to the mayday diverted from its passage and was able to take the cargo ship under tow,’ he added. Picture: Gary Davies/Maritime Photographic
Inside F Ticket to ride
Act now to beat STCW training deadline, Nautilus advises members — pages 22-23 F Staying alive
The new invention that is helping to save lives in the Mediterranean — pages 30-31
F Sam flies high
Newly-qualified officer tells of her dream job on hovercraft service — page 20
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