World Maritime Day industry panel to examine the gap between maritime policy and the reality of life at sea

OneCare Group will host a World Maritime Day webinar on September 23rd to explore the gap between maritime policies and the actual experiences of seafarers. The 60-minute online panel session, titled "From Policy to Practice: Putting People at the Centre of Maritime Excellence," will take place at 11:00am Cyprus time and aligns with the IMO's 2026-2027 theme. The focus will be on the human side of implementation, examining the gap between corporate policies and the realities seafarers face at sea.

The webinar will recognize recent advancements in crew welfare, safety culture, and reporting mechanisms. However, the discussion will not focus on the perceived failure of existing efforts, but rather on how the industry can build upon these achievements to ensure policies consistently deliver intended outcomes onboard. Key topics include fatigue and hours of rest, bullying and harassment, psychological safety, mental health and wellbeing, and safety culture.

The panel will consider whether shipping companies are measuring the effectiveness of policies or merely their existence. Fatigue will be a significant focus, as despite established hours-of-rest requirements, fatigue remains an operational concern. The panel will explore what companies should monitor beyond compliance records to gauge true fatigue risk onboard.

Psychological safety and the barriers preventing seafarers from raising concerns will also be discussed. The role of Masters, senior officers, and shore-based management in creating environments where crew feel comfortable speaking openly and seeking support will be examined. Moderated by Gisa Paredes, Managing Director of WellAtSea at OneCare Group, the webinar will include panellists such as Olga Pavlova, Gueven Kale, Captain Siva Shanmugam, Stuart Edmonston, Pablo Torres, and Marinos Kokkinis, CEO of OneCare Group.

The discussion will aim to answer how shipping companies can measure the effectiveness of policies beyond procedural compliance, the potential role of seafarer feedback, audits, assessments, and culture surveys, and the importance of leadership, trust, and accountability in achieving lasting change onboard.