November 28th, 20191Smartphones have a new use onboard ship - ensuring a sober crew. Japanese shipping major Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha (K Line) strict alcohol policies onboard have been supplemented by issuing breathalysers linked to smartphones. The system, developed by tech firm Pai-R, is being installed across the K Line fleet. The alcohol detector...
November 21st, 20194Contrary to many recent reports carried by Splash, shipping is not struggling to attract the next generation into the industry, but more needs to be done to retain talent, asserted the HR panel at the Maritime CEO Forum in Hong Kong this week. “For me, I don’t think there is a big problem. There’s a lot of people who are dying...
November 21st, 20193Anglo-Eastern’s Captain Pradeep Chawladiscusses the need to re-focus on human factors to prevent accidents. The approach is to investigate the eco-system in which the seafarer takes decisions rather than blaming the seafarer. He discusses how to encourage mutual respect for the seafarer and use positive re-enforcement and co-operation...
November 20th, 20190A new study by Yale University has identified dangerous levels of depression, anxiety and suicide risk among the world’s seafarers. Commissioned by the ITF Seafarers’ Trust charity, the survey of the state of seafarers’ mental health exposes risks and proposes actions that can be taken to address the problem. The study drew on a...
November 19th, 20190Shipping companies should be aware that it is not only salary levels that determine which employer a seafarer selects – fringe benefits are playing an important role in attracting and keeping senior staff, a crew survey has revealed. Access to the internet (both free or paid) tops the list of must-haves for today’s seafarers,...
November 6th, 20191Recent onset psychological disorders are increasing among serving seafarers, new research by Cardiff University suggests, yet more than half of employers surveyed said they had not introduced any policies or practices to address mental health for a decade. The study also urges for internet access to be made available on all ships...
November 5th, 20190Seafarers are increasingly worried that they will take the rap for botched sulphur cap transitions. While the latest Seafarers Happiness Index paints a remarkably improving picture for life at sea, the stress involved with IMO 2020 is becoming clear to see. The quarterly report, carried out by the Mission to Seafarers, indicates...
October 14th, 201929I recently came across a job advert for a third officer by one of the UK’s major maritime industry recruiters, Faststream Recruitment. The advert offers the successful candidate “the opportunity to work with a leading cruise company, experience global travel, and enjoy an attractive package with lots of future...
October 3rd, 20191Pinger locators have finally found where the sank six weeks ago. After an extraordinary search over thousands of square kilometres, Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Commission has located the Gurita Lintas Samudra-owned ship in the Halmahera Sea, north of Buru Island in the Maluku area that sits in the heart of the...
September 30th, 20190Bourbon has announced that tug supply vessel , which was hit by bad weather associated with Hurricane category 4 hurricane Lorenzo, has sunk in the Atlantic. The French offshore vessel owner launched a rescue mission on Thursday after the vessel, headed for Guyana, encountered trouble while it was around 1,200 nautical miles off...
