The latest Seafarers Happiness Index report, published by The Mission to Seafarers, reveals the lowest levels of seafarer satisfaction for eight years, with the Index’s measure of overall happiness decreasing from 6.41 to 5.85 and levels dropping across all categories.
The survey, undertaken with the support of the Standard Club and Idwal, reports on Q1 2022 and shows that a turbulent start to 2022 on many fronts has severely impacted seafarer happiness. From the COVID-19 Omicron variant to the conflict between Russia and Ukraine and concerns over contractual issues, seafarers have faced a challenging few months, as morale on board has severely declined.
An incident where an AB lost his balance during a wire change operation, resulting in falling onto the hatch cover from a height of about 8 metres and losing his life.
The incident
It was an early spring morning with clear skies and calm seas and the vessel was sailing in the open seas. The Chief Officer had assembled the deck crew in the deck office and instructed them about the planned job for the day which was to change the wire of one of the deck cranes. All members were designated a job and the risk assessment was discussed and signed by all crew members. Three Abs were stationed in the crane to direct the wire. They had safety harnesses when they climbed up the crane’s ladder.
The crew started the job by releasing the safety pin of the old wire on the drum and then welding the old wire to the new wire and fitting a protective sleeve over the welded joint. This would facilitate the mounting of the new wire on the drum of the crane. The crew would monitor the wrapping of the new wire on the drum and the unwrapping of the old wire from the drum storage space.
The work progressed well but after a couple of hours the new wire became stuck on the aft crossbeam of the boom. The Chief Officer saw the problem, and immediately signalled to the crane operator to stop the winch, by both using his hand and calling on his radio.
One of the ABs who was up in the crane climbed over the safety railing at the drum storage space and out onto the boom. He sat straddling the boom and used his hands to quickly push himself forward and out onto the boom towards the aft crossbeam where the wire was stuck.
The Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) of Singapore updated its COVID-19 related requirements for the vessels arriving in the port of Singapore.
Contactless operations and contactless operations with segregation protocol
Contactless Operations with Segregation Protocol
Requirements for Enterprises with Shore-Based Personnel Boarding Vessels at Anchorages, Shipyards, Terminals and Marinas, in the Port of Singapore.
The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill imposing jail terms of at least 15 years for paying a ransom to free someone who has been kidnapped, and made the crime of abduction punishable by death in cases where victims die.
Opeyemi Bamidele, chairman of the Senate’s judiciary, human rights and legal committee, told the Senate that making ransom payment punishable with lengthy jail sentences would “discourage the rising spate of kidnapping and abduction for ransom in Nigeria, which is fast spreading across the country”.
The bill mandates the death penalty for convicted kidnappers where the abduction leads to loss of life, and life imprisonment in other cases.