The international maritime industry continues to draw on a supply of seafarers from across the world. Whilst their unique welfare needs are acknowledged by ship owners and other interested agencies, they are not uniformly well provided for. For around 200 years the maritime missionary societies have focused on the pastoral needs of seafarers providing a broad range of services for groups and individuals. Those societies include the Apostleship of the Sea, British and International Sailors’ Society, Fishermen’s Mission, Mission to Seafarers, Seamen’s Christian Friends Society and other smaller organisations. In the past much of their work has been centre based. However, faster turnaround of ships, coinciding with smaller crews, often mean seafarers have little time to go ashore and there is an ever increasing need for on board welfare visiting.

In 2005, a joint venture among the nautical voluntary societies working in UK ports established a formalised training course for those involved in visiting ships. The two day course, funded by the Merchant Navy Welfare Board and accredited by The Nautical Institute, was then successfully rolled out across the UK. In 2006, over 320 personnel completed the course and were issued certificates and badges. Among those were a number of highly experienced port chaplains and visitors, all of whom gave their total support for the course content and structure. Furthermore, the course has been so successful that the International Committee on Seafarers Welfare and ITFST plans to work in partnership with the MNWB to provide training for ship visitors on an international basis. The Board will continue to administer the database of all trained ship welfare visitors for the benefit of all involved.

The course has been welcomed by port authorities and ships’ masters as it allows them to verify that those personnel holding the identity card represent a genuine seafarers’ welfare organisation and have a good understanding of seafarers welfare needs.

The course (which would be completed in addition to any local induction courses) includes the following:

• an understanding of the global and local maritime industry and international seafarers’ welfare management.
• a relevant knowledge of issues including health & safety topics, security (ISPS Code), personal responsibilities and accountability
• an understanding of best practice, ship and port protocols, cultural issues, personal responsibility and accountability.

MNWB Chief Executive, Captain David Parsons, stated “I am delighted that the collaboration of the nautical welfare charities produced such a successful and professional foundation course. By contacting the Board, Harbourmasters can now quickly differentiate between trained and non trained ship welfare visitors”.

To facilitate a timely training regime, the Board has also launched a distance learning package for new ship visitors waiting to attend the course.

Are the welfare personnel visiting ships in your port qualified?

Posted: 2007-05-04

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