health and safety

The Covid-19 crisis has exposed the global seafaring community to numerous challenges.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC) is clear – a seafarer, while working on board, has the right to adequate health protection and access to prompt and adequate medical care including essential dental care.

The ITF and global union federations have urged governments and employers to urgently act to protect workers, and the global economy and society that depends upon them.

New guidelines to avoid or manage an outbreak of coronavirus on board ships are now available. They include pre-boarding screenings, isolation cabins, outbreak management plans, contact tracing, quarantine, daily cleaning and disinfection.

The ITF is closely following all advice from the World Health Organisation (WHO) regarding the current outbreak which originated in Wuhan city, a major domestic and international transport hub.

A wide-ranging study by 

Staff on a North Sea oil platform have been evacuated following safety concerns.

Croatia has been an active maritime nation since the end of the Second World War, giving the country an advantage compared to other Eastern European countries in terms of language, education and international experience.