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 indust ry has been utterly transformed since the mid 1970s by the shift to flags o f convenience, the sub-contracting of operations by owners to international ship management companies and crewing companies, the explosive growth of m ixed nationality crews, and technological and economic changes which have r educed crewing levels and extended working hours. The shipping industry has become arguably the first truly global industry, inadequately controlled b y flag-state and port-state regulatory regimes. The evidence of the impact of globalisation on seafarers' health and safety is reviewed and found to b e fragmentary but indicative of potentially serious deleterious effects. Cl oser monitoring of seafarers' health and safety is required as is an enhanc ed international regulatory regime to narrow the very wide gap between best and worst industry practice.