Sailors’ Society launches mandatory wellness training petition

25/04/2019

Sailors’ Society has launched a new petition for mandatory wellness training for seafarers.

The Not On My Watch petition asks the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to make wellness training for seafarers mandatory as part of the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC).
The petition is part of Sailors’ Society campaign to tackle suicide and depression at sea. At time of writing, more than 700 people have signed the petition.
WesCom Signal and Rescue supports Sailors’ Society and previously sponsored its Wellness at Sea conference. Chris Feibusch, Director of Global Marketing and Communications, is an ambassador for Sailors’ Society along with Yanming Bay, of Singapore-based Safety Innovators International Pte Ltd.
The campaign also calls on maritime companies to run wellness training for their staff and support Sailors’ Society work to fight seafarer depression.
More than a quarter of seafarers suffer from depression and nearly 6% of deaths at sea are attributable to suicide. This figure rises dramatically if probable suicides – seafarers going missing at sea under suspicious circumstances – are considered. In comparison, less than 1% of deaths in the United Kingdom in 2017 were recorded as suicide.
Sandra Welch, Sailors’ Society’s Deputy Chief Executive Officer, says, “These are shockingly high rates – and one suicide is one too many. The fact that six times as many deaths at sea are attributable to suicide highlights how urgent an issue mental health at sea is.
“That is why we are launching our Not On My Watch campaign and asking the International Labour Organization to make wellness training a minimum requirement for seafarers to work on board a ship.”
The MLC is an ILO convention which regulates living and working conditions for seafarers. It has been ratified by 92 member states, representing some 91% of the world merchant shipping fleet.
Aditya Giri, Director of Humans at Sea and a former seafarer, was the first person to sign the petition. He has personal experience of the devastating impact of depression at sea. While he was sailing in the Atlantic Ocean, one of his crewmates jumped off the ship to his death. The crew, who had no idea their friend was depressed, were devastated to find a suicide note in his cabin.
Aditya says, “I was in denial, disheartened at my core and shocked, to accept that a person who was making jokes and laughing with us a few hours earlier would take such a step. I fell into depression myself, burdened with one remorseful thought that clouded my mind at all times: could I have saved his life?
“This experience has helped me realise the importance of sharing your problems and asking your shipmates if they are facing any issues themselves. A simple acknowledgement could save someone’s life.”
Through its Wellness at Sea coaching programme and Crisis Response Network, Sailors’ Society is committed to improving the well-being of seafarers.
Sailors’ Society launched its Wellness at Sea campaign in 2015. Its new website, www.wellnessatsea.org helps provide companies with the tools to combat fatigue, poor mental health, stress and other issues that affect seafarers in their daily lives.
More than 4,000 seafarers have undertaken the training, which explores five different aspects of a seafarer’s life: social, emotional, physical, intellectual and spiritual; empowering them to look after their own well-being, helping them protect themselves and their crewmates against depression.
Sandra adds, “Seafarers tell us that wellness training makes them more confident to handle the pressures of life at sea. If more seafarers are equipped with basic wellness training, they will be empowered to identify the signs of depression and know how to get help.
“We believe this will have a significant impact on seafarers’ mental health and reduce the number of suicides at sea.”
To sign Sailors’ Society’s petition, visit: https://tinyurl.com/y5b7gd5o
Sailors’ Society has been bringing people together for more than 200 years, transforming the lives of seafarers and their families at home, in port and at sea through the delivery of chaplaincy, education and the relief of poverty and distress.
The charity works internationally to provide practical, emotional and spiritual welfare support to the world’s 1.6m seafarers, regardless of background or faith. Sailors’ Society chaplains and ship visitors have a presence in 96 global ports, with wider projects and services covering 30 countries.