Standard Club Launches Its New Seafarer Wellbeing Initiative

This programme of activity is a key part of the Standard Club’s commitment to seafarer safety and wellbeing. Key elements are:

A poster campaign featuring a new on-board poster released each month on four topics central to seafarer health – healthy eating, fitness, mental wellbeing and socialisation. Each poster will have a QR code that links to online articles with more detailed help and information for crew

• An online and social media communications programme to support the poster campaign, including tips and wellbeing statistics to help drive home the messages about keeping seafarers safe at sea
• A simplified website enabling members to access the club’s extensive Loss Prevention resources easily and speedily
• An enhanced Pre-Employment Medical Examination Scheme (PEME), which is designed to improve the efficiency and safety of the maritime working environment by reducing the risk of personnel claims on board related to chronic long term and detectable illness
• The club’s membership of the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), the organisation that promotes seafarers’ welfare globally and directly serves seafarers by providing a 24-hour helpline.

Representation Image – Photograph by Angelbert Dungog

Captain Yves Vandenborn, Director of Loss Prevention at the Standard Club, said: “Shipping is a high-risk business. We believe that we can only make seafaring safer by putting people at the heart of everything we do. Seafarer wellbeing is a holistic concept combining physical, mental and social wellbeing.

Today, there is a greater understanding of wellbeing and the need to support the whole person and not just the physical body. Social wellbeing and mental health are key to overall seafarer wellbeing and yet the nature of shipping is not always conducive to this. Seafarers are at risk of a number of health problems which can jeopardise their safety and that of the ship. By educating and supporting crew to look after their wellbeing, we can help reduce illness and accidents at sea.”

The seafarer wellbeing programme is one of a number of initiatives launched over the last 12 months which reflect the club‘s central belief that people are at the heart of all it does. This is reflected in a new tag-line “By Your Side”, which has been added to the club’s logo and which reflects the support, flexibility and commitment that the club provides in helping members to understand and manage risk, advising on loss prevention and safety guidance, and responding immediately and effectively when claims occur.

Jeremy Grose, Chief Executive, said: “We aspire to be the most member-orientated club, and members stay with us because of the exceptional level of support our people give them. In putting people first, both those in our own offices, members’ offices and on members’ ships, we believe we emphasise what really matters in the shipping business and support a focus on safety for all.

Press Release

Source: Maritime Shipping News