Seafarer welfare policies must work beyond paper

A OneCare Group webinar has warned maritime companies to ensure their seafarer welfare policies are translated from paper to reality, or the industry risks failing to bring about meaningful change. The event, held to mark World Maritime Day and its theme of "From Policy to Practice – Powering Maritime Excellence", brought together experts from various fields to discuss why well-intentioned policies often fail to translate into meaningful protection onboard.

Gisa Paredes, Managing Director of WellAtSea, emphasized the disconnect between companies' intentions and seafarers' experiences on board, urging the industry to focus on the operational truth by moving from paper-based rest logs to biological rest and continuous psychological care. Fatigue was identified as a clear example of the policy-to-practice challenge, with panelists questioning whether recorded compliance accurately reflects sufficient restorative sleep.

Olga Pavlova, Global Crewing Operations Manager, NSB GROUP, highlighted that rest-hour records alone do not capture the full picture, as factors like sleep quality, concentration problems, irritability, and interpersonal conflict can indicate fatigue. Meanwhile, Ms Kale stressed the need for mental health support to move beyond crisis intervention, arguing that it should be regarded as risk management, performance management, and crew welfare.

Captain Siva emphasized the importance of accurate recording of rest opportunities, while Ms Pavlova pointed out that the fundamental problem lies in the environment created by the shipping industry itself, which generates operational pressure, deadlines, inspections, and delays during crew changes. The panel also called for senior leadership to prioritize crew welfare in decision-making processes, with Stuart Edmonston stressing the need for senior management to understand what is happening onboard and whether crews feel connected to decisions made ashore.

Overall, the panelists agreed that while progress has been made in crew welfare, more needs to be done, and experts must continue to raise awareness of the issues faced by seafarers and ensure the right support is in place.