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Steamship Mutual sponsors Wellness module

8 Sep, 2016

Steamship Mutual, one of the largest and most diverse P&I Clubs in the world, has agreed a one-year sponsorship of the physical wellness module of Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea coaching programme.

Wellness at Sea, which was launched in 2015, is a coaching and support programme devised by the international maritime welfare charity to promote health and well-being among the world’s seafarers. The vast majority of incidents occurring at sea are attributable to ‘human error’, a term that disguises a variety of underlying problems. Issues such as fatigue, poor physical health and stress can all compromise the ability of seafarers to undertake their daily work safely, making the difference between safe transit and a major incident.

Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea programme seeks to support the mental and physical health of seafarers in a holistic manner, addressing five specific needs: physical, social, emotional, intellectual and spiritual wellness.

Chris Adams, Director, Head of the European Syndicate and Loss Prevention of the Club’s Managers said: “This sponsorship makes eminent sense because of the perfect alignment of the Physical Wellness module with the objectives of the Club’s most recent loss prevention DVD “Fit for Life”. Both are designed to facilitate greater understanding on the part of seafarers of the importance of good health for the benefit of themselves and the families they support. We hope that our Members and others will avail themselves of the valuable training this programme offers.”

The Club regularly incurs crew illness claims that arise because of the sub-optimal fitness of the seafarer concerned. For example, the seafarer who is overweight, with high blood pressure who suffers a stroke or heart attack whilst at sea. These incidents often involve not only significant cost but, more importantly, can also result in a tragic or devastating outcome for the seafarers involved and their families. By raising awareness of the issues that compromise physical well-being, and implementing lifestyle changes or a taking medication to control the risks, it is hoped that the Wellness at Sea programme will help prevent such claims arising.

Sandra Welch, Sailors’ Society’s deputy chief executive officer, said: “Sailors’ Society’s Wellness at Sea programme has been well received by the industry and we are pleased to have agreed such a mutually beneficial partnership with Steamship Mutual. We’re looking forward to working together, as well as with Club members participating in the Wellness at Sea programme, to help improve seafarer health and well-being”.

Companies who have already undertaken the Wellness at Sea training include Wallem, Univan, Sea Team and Seaspan. More than 400 students have already completed the full and condensed versions of the coaching programme and an additional 600 seafarers are expected to participate in courses this year. Sailors’ Society has also developed a free app for seafarers that is android and iPhone compatible and can be downloaded by searching for Wellness at Sea.

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