Physical

Any level of alcohol consumption or illegal drugs by crew members onboard has implications for the safety of the vessel, the crew and any passengers. Even small quantities of alcohol have been shown to sufficiently impair seafarer’s fitness for duty and increase the risk of accidents.

A healthy food program provides seafarers with the required energy to perform their duties and fight any fatigue symptoms. On the other hand, if not handled properly, food onboard can be a significant cause of diseases. So how crews can ensure the food hygiene onboard? 

The healthy amount of sleep for the average adult is around seven to eight hours each night. A lack of sleep causes many significant changes in the body and increases the risk for serious health concerns. Fatigue is seen as a significant contributory factor to many incidents.

Toothaches can cause such an intense pain that no one is easy to withstand for long time. Especially for seafarers on duty, severe toothache is difficult to be treated with the medication means included in the ship’s medical chest.

The operations onboard a vessel are challenging and if not conducted cautiously, they may lead to injuries or even fatalities. Seafarers have to be careful when carrying out their operations and always wear the safety equipment needed. Yet, can you prevent an injury onboard and, if yes, how?

We are all biologically programmed to be active during the day and to sleep at night. Each individual has a body clock, and this clock regulates the body's circadian rhythm. The body clock makes a person sleepy or alert on a regular schedule whether they are working or not. In normal conditions, the sleep/wake cycle follows a 24-hour rhythm; however, the cycle is not the same for everyone.

Adopting habits that increase our emotional health and wellbeing, seafarers can build a reserve of strength that can be called upon when they need it most. Here are seven ways; seven small changes in daily seafarers’ life to maintain a good health while working in a such challenging working environment.

The amount of sleep we need each day will change over the course of our life. On average an adult aged 18 years or older needs 7–8 hours a day, however, sleep needs vary from person to person. Lack of sleep and poor quality of sleep and rest can cause fatigue, which is considered as the silent risk factor for seafarers.

Missing a night of sleep isn’t uncommon but does affect you. How long an individual is awake affects sleepiness and consequently fatigue levels. The longer an individual has been awake, the poorer his/her performance.

The pandemic crisis has shed the lights on mental health, but let’s not forget that the physical wellbeing is equally important, experts of ‘the Physical Wellbeing Panel’ during the 2021 Crew Welfare Week, in late June, stressed.