Health risks in the global shipping industry: an overview

The shipping industry has always been one in which workers' relative risks of ill health, injury and death have been considerable. However, the industry has been utterly transformed since the mid 1970s by the shift to flags of convenience, the sub-contracting of operations by owners to international ship management companies and crewing companies, the explosive growth of mixed nationality crews, and technological and economic changes which have reduced crewing levels and extended working hours. The shipping industry has become arguably the first truly global industry, inadequately controlled by flag-state and port-state regulatory regimes. The evidence of the impact of globalisation on seafarers' health and safety is reviewed and found to be fragmentary but indicative of potentially serious deleterious effects. Closer monitoring of seafarers' health and safety is required as is an enhanced international regulatory regime to narrow the very wide gap between best and worst industry practice.