26 July 2018
The International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) is partnering with MHG Insurance to launch a survey of seafarers who work on superyachts to investigate welfare issues specific to the sector. Questions will be asked on food, cabins and communications, as well as the health and wellbeing of the men and women working on board. The survey has been designed to:
· highlight areas of welfare needs among seafarers on superyachts
· see what is working well under current conditions to meet their welfare needs, and what needs improvement
· explore how existing seafarers’ welfare structures may meet these needs and where there is scope for new provision
A recent survey commissioned by Yachting Pages Media Group found that 75% of crew surveyed said that the industry is not doing enough to tackle mental health problems and look after the overall wellbeing of crew.
‘Maritime welfare organisations are used to dealing with seafarers on cargo and cruise ships. The number of seafarers in the yacht sector has grown to around 35,000, and we need to know more about the challenges which are specific to the superyacht sector. As seafarers on superyachts are covered by the provisions of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention their welfare needs – at sea and ashore – should be better known and provided for,’ said Roger Harris, Executive Director of ISWAN.
Andrew Dudzinski, CEO of MHG Insurance, explained their support of this initiative: ‘The welfare of all crew, but especially those who are insured with MHG, is a primary concern for us. The mental and physical health and wellbeing of these seafarers is not just a professional interest. We want to know better what makes them tick and how their time at sea can be improved.’
Andrew Wright, Secretary General of the Mission to Seafarers, who are assisting with the distribution of the survey, said: ‘Yacht crew do an amazing job, catering to a small but very influential clientele, providing a phenomenal level of professionalism and service. For most crew this is a satisfying and wonderful job, but we need to see where improvements can be made.’
The results will be published in a report on the ISWAN website ( www.seafarerswelfare.org ) in December 2018.
For further information, please contact:
Tom Holmer
ISWAN, Croydon, UK
Telephone: +44 20 8253 0163
tom.holmer@iswan.org.uk
Mobile: +44 7807 311852 tom.holmer@iswan.org.uk tom.holmer@iswan.org.uk
Diana Gonzalez
MHG Insurance, Florida, USA
Telephone: +1 954 548 3581
dianag@mhginsurance.com
Mobile: +1 954 232 2957
ENDS
NOTES TO EDITORS
International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN): An international charity dedicated to the relief of need, hardship or distress amongst seafarers of all nationalities, races, colour and creeds irrespective of gender. seafarerswelfare.org
MHG Insurance: Established in 1991 in Miami, Florida, MHG Insurance is an independent, global, full service insurance brokerage and consultative facility. Through its extensive relationships with international underwriting markets, MHG develops and provides a full range of employee benefits, risk mitigation programs, property and casualty insurance and financial services all supported by comprehensive attention to service support for all of our clients. In the marine community, MHG is well known for its expertise in the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC 2006) and developing MLC-aligned crew insurance solutions. In the U.S., MHG provides group and individual employee benefits along with advice on federal regulations regarding the Affordable Care Act. For more information about MHG Insurance and the services we provide, please visit mhginsurance.com