The marine industry is dynamic and ever-changing. The need of the hour is to keep ourselves updated with changes affecting our work environment, primarily including new regulations and latest technology. In addition, the protection of the environment, concerns around global warming, sustainability and supply chain security all take a central role, so we need to remain aware of new scenarios in each of these areas.
A Filipino seafarer was found dead onboard the Malta flagged MV Elbella at Marsaxlokk Freeport in Malta last Sunday night (17th of May). The seafarer was found in a pool of blood with several stab wounds and two kitchen knives near his corpse.
The world’s leading maritime nations and representatives of ship owners and seafarers, are to address the issues of abandonment of seafarers and the rapid settlement of claims for compensation in the case of a seafarer’s death or long-term disability at the first meeting of a Special Tripartite Committee established under the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006).
Rene Descartes in 17th century described animals as machines who reacted predictably according to external stimuli in their immediate environment in order to attain equilibrium or more practically to survive.
In the IMO, the countries have just agreed on training requirements for seafarers on board ships in Arctic regions. Thus, the IMO still follows the plan for finalizing the Polar Code which is to enhance safety of navigation in polar regions.
We had arrived in China at just about the same time as Typhoon Utor. Which was a bit of a problem, since our cameraman Damien Riunaud and I had travelled to Shenzhen to board the Singapore-bound APL Boston container ship and produce video footage documenting life at sea. The trip was meant to coincide with the coming into force of the ILO’s Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006), also known as the Seafarers’ Bill of Rights.
The following article was initially published in the Isle of Man Maritime Blog by Dick Welsh Director of Isle of Man Ship Registry. Back in August, the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) came into force, adding seafarers’ rights to existing IMO instruments covering safety, pollution prevention, and crew qualifications. The 30 countries that had already ratified the Convention could now carry out port state control inspections of ships visiting their ports, thereby raising the bar internationally and improving the situation for crew on board ships. But four months into the maritime industry’s newest international regime, have standards for seafarers really improved?
The following article was initially published in the Isle of Man Maritime Blog by Dick Welsh Director of Isle of Man Ship Registry. I realise I am a Luddite who went to Sea a long time ago, but I am concerned that the modern age of instant communication and social media may not be helping our seafarers.
The following article was initially published in SAFETY4SEA by Apostolos Belokas Managing Editor of SAFETY4SEA. In an effort to enhance fatigue management IMO has amended the “fitness for duty – hours of rest” requirements to provide watch keepers on-board ships with increased rest periods on the latest STCW Amendments in line with the ILO MLC. Despite the fact that over the last few years STCW latest amendments are in place and ILO MLC is being implemented as of 20 August 2013 a number of problems are being experienced.
On 20 August 2013 the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006) entered into force and became a relevant instrument for the Paris MoU. During the first month 8 ships were detained for MLC-related deficiencies in areas under the jurisdiction of Paris MoU. This means that 12% of the total number of detentions (68) in the Paris MoU area in this period was MLC, 2006 related.
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Officer of the Watch 