With shipping being responsible for 80% of global trade, the response to Covid-19 in the maritime industry needs to be efficacious enough to manage the issues arising due to quarantine requirements, restrictions on border crossings due to border closures, repatriation and crew changeovers, abandonment, renewals of certificates, and licensing of seafarers.
About 2 million seafarers are responsible for the regular conduct of global trade and, as a result, a strong safety manual is necessary for their health security. Many UN organizations, like the World Health Organization (WHO), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), and the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), have been playing significant roles in providing substantive guidance regarding the current issue.
Shipping is the most efficient, reliable, and vital means of transportation in the supply chain. The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, as amended (MLC 2006), of the International Labour Organization (ILO), is the global instrument that sets out seafarers’ rights and their working and living conditions on board.
The IMO, WHO, ILO, and ICAO have been addressing the issues collectively to minimize the risk of down-turning global trade as well as human health and to ensure that the maritime industry is getting protective, holistic guidance.
The social and economic dimensions of the pandemic have been affecting communities differently, due to the presence of different levels of preparedness of their health, social security systems, and infrastructural capacity. From the beginning, the response by the maritime industry has been magnificent.
A set of new protocols has been introduced by a cross-section of global industry associations representing various sectors of the maritime transport industry. The protocols contain general measures and special instructions designed to ensure that ship crew can adapt with the existing crisis.
The WHO provided a guidance on managing Covid-19 cases on board ships in February of 2020, on the basis of the handbook for the management of public health events board ships -- this supports the importance of ensuring that seafarers are provided with health protection and medical care along with access to the necessary medical equipment and facilities for treatment.
We still do not know when this situation will get back to normal and this period will be crucial for every industry. There are differences in every country’s infrastructural capacity, so depending on those, the government needs to ensure proper evaluation of risks and communication of the control measures to reduce the aftereffects of the pandemic.
Simple steps and precautions are recommended even after the virus is completely gone: Journeys should be well-managed with effective precautions, the crew should be given guidance before boarding, and emphasis must be given to proper hygiene.
The expectation from this industry is huge so the measures to be taken must be sustainable and standard. The safety measures should include: a) Reduced physical interaction, b) avoiding concentration of workers, c) training and information, d) health surveillance, and e) the availability of psychological counselling.
Implementing these measures will require a clear plan since it will attempt to reduce risk related issues for the overall sector. To effectively deal with the situation, seafarers are expected to familiarize themselves with the provided Covid-related manuals and proactive measures should be taken to ensure that they are being well-briefed on the procedures.
All travel movements need to be documented and should follow proper protocol. Adherence to social distancing measures is essential. Moreover, airports are encouraged to set aside a section for the seafarers where they can be checked-in separately zoned and screened for the virus if necessary.
Samnardth Tahiyat Salim is a student of Economics.