OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND
HEALTH opportunities, earnings potential, and
What is Occupational Health and Safety?
 Occupational safety and health is the
discipline for preventing work-related
injuries and diseases and protecting
and promoting workers ' health.
 It aims to improve working conditions
and the environment.
 Members of many professions (e.g.,
engineers, physicians, hygienists,
nurses) contribute to "occupational
safety, occupational health,
occupational hygiene, and
improvement of the working
environment."
Safety and health at work: Why are youth
at risk?
 Many young job seekers feel pressure
to accept their first job offer, often
without considering if the working
conditions put their health and safety
at risk.
 Young workers suffer from injury and
illness on the job at far higher rates
than their adult counterparts.
Defining young workers
 The United Nations defines "youth" as
anyone between 15 and 24.
 They include students who work in
their spare time, apprentices, interns,
young people who have finished or
dropped out of compulsory education,
young workers in family businesses,
young employers, and self-employed
workers.
Injury and illness for young workers
 Globally, 374 million workers suffered
non-fatal occupational injuries in 2014.
 According to the European Agency for
Safety and Health at Work, young
people in Europe are up to 40% more
likely to suffer a work-related injury
than older workers.
Why does it matter?
 Occupational safety and health is a
fundamental human right, but there is
more to this.
 The human cost. The high rate of injury
among young people is of particular
concern, as one accident can destroy a
life and a lifetime of career
general well-being.
 The economic cost. Poor occupational
safety and health practices cost an
estimated 4% of global gross domestic
product annually, almost 3 trillion US
dollars. While these estimates are
based primarily on the economic cost
to businesses and government, when a
young worker is injured, years of
productivity and investment in
education and training are lost.
THE MOST DANGEROUS SECTORS
Manufacturing
 Many young workers transition
directly from education to
employment in manufacturing. Young
workers comprise almost 10% of all
workers in manufacturing in Africa and
20% in Eastern Europe and Central and
Western Asia.
 In many developed countries, it is the
sector with the highest proportion of
occupational accidents involving
young workers.
Construction
 This sector attracts high numbers of
young workers in many developing
countries and has one of the highest
rates of occupational injury and
illness.
 This is due to the hazardous nature of
the work but also due to a lack of job
training for a high number of
inexperienced, seasonal, and migrant
workers.
Agriculture
 This sector is a significant employer of
young people in developing regions.
 Like the construction sector,
agriculture is among the most
hazardous sectors for workers of all
ages due to the nature of the work and
the frequent lack of job training for the
high number of low-skilled, seasonal,
and migrant workers.
 Nearly half of all adolescents in
hazardous child labor work in
agriculture.
 TECHNICAL AND ETHICAL GUIDELINES FOR
WORKERS' HEALTH SURVEILLANCE
Organization of workers' health surveillance
1. Workers' health surveillance should
consider workplace hazards, health
requirements, available resources, and
legal regulations, with surveillance
levels based on thoroughly
investigating work-related factors
affecting health.
2. Workers' health surveillance can occur
at various levels and through different
entities, including occupational health
services within or outside the
enterprise, ensuring qualified
professionals conduct it.
3. A comprehensive workers' health
surveillance system includes individual
and collective health assessments,
injury and disease recording, sentinel
event notification, and action
components like feedback, guidance
on health policies, early warning
capabilities, and evaluation of follow-
up actions for improving working
conditions and health.
Assessments of workers' health
3.4. Workers' health surveillance may be
mandatory or voluntary and can be regulated
by law.
3.5. Health assessment and medical
examinations are crucial for workplace
prevention programs.
3.6. Medical examinations serve various
purposes, including evaluating control
measures and assessing fitness for work.
3.7. Occupational physicians provide vital
information during medical examinations to
promote worker health and appropriate job
placement.
3.8. Medical examinations should be
purposeful, selecting relevant tests and
periodically reviewing for effectiveness.
3.9. Examination procedures involve personal
history, clinical exams, questionnaires, and
tests relevant to workplace hazards.
3.10. Medical examinations, ideally conducted
before or shortly after employment, serve as a
baseline for future health monitoring.
3.11. Pre-employment medical examinations
should be adapted to job requirements and
consider possibilities for improving working
conditions.
3.12. Periodic medical examinations during
employment should align with occupational
risks and may occur after prolonged absences
or job changes.
3.13. Post-employment medical examinations
may be necessary to assess health effects and
ensure early diagnosis and treatment.
3.14. Medical examinations protect workers'
health, work access, and compensation
entitlement without substituting for hazard
prevention measures.
3.15. Periodic examinations help verify
protection levels from exposure limits and
identify the health effects of changes in
working conditions.
Biological tests and other investigations
3.16. Biological tests and investigations,
integral to medical examinations, require
workers' informed consent and adherence to
professional standards to detect potential
health issues.
3.17. Biological tests and medical
investigations, supervised by physicians, must
ensure medical confidentiality and relevance
to worker health with consideration of their
accuracy and predictive values.
3.18. Non-invasive methods should be
preferred, and invasive procedures should be
justified based on the benefits to the worker,
avoiding risks to their health, and being careful
regarding insurance claims.
3.19. Biological monitoring tests, such as blood
and urine tests, are valuable for worker health
surveillance but should complement
environmental assessments, prioritizing
environmental criteria over physical limits.
3.20. Genetic screening for work-related
purposes is generally considered excessive,
lacking sufficient scientific basis for
occupational health use.
Sickness monitoring
3.21. Monitoring sickness absence aids in
identifying potential workplace health hazards
related to ill health or absence.
3.22. Occupational health professionals should
provide medical advice on sickness cases while
maintaining confidentiality, but they shouldn't
be involved in administrative management or
verifying reasons for absence.
3.23. Occupational health physicians require
full access to worker health and absence data
to identify links between ill health and
workplace hazards, sometimes necessitating
collaboration with a worker's family doctor
with the worker's consent and access to their
medical report.
Recording and notification systems
3.24. National authorities establish systems to
monitor occupational injuries and diseases,
often within prevention, compensation, or
benefit programs, sometimes following ILO
guidelines.
3.25. Workers' compensation data provide
valuable surveillance information on
occupational disorders, aiding in monitoring
trends and identifying high-risk jobs for
targeted action.
3.26. Addressing the underestimation of
occupational injuries and diseases requires
utilizing epidemiological data and improving
disease recognition through diagnostic criteria
development and physician training.
Surveys, voluntary programs, and inspections
3.27. Epidemiological surveys and
occupational health research are valuable for
disease surveillance, guided by ethical
principles and confidentiality.
3.28. Individual health surveillance can detect
potentially work-related disorders, justifying
targeted programs or surveys for specific
health issues or exposed groups.
3.29. Sentinel events help identify high-risk
jobs and disease causes, complementing
traditional reporting systems.
3.30. Incident reporting systems aid in hazard
identification and preventive measures, with
near-accident data supplementing injury
surveillance.
3.31. Occupational health professionals'
surveys and inspections pinpoint hazards
warranting specific health assessments.
3.32. Medical inspections by labor authorities
ensure compliance with health surveillance
regulations, with inspectors collaborating with
health professionals and recommending
targeted surveys when necessary.
Other data sources
3.33. Routine health and disease data
collected nationally or regionally can
efficiently contribute to monitoring workers'
health, including occupational injuries and
diseases.
3.34. It's important to weigh the pros and cons
of using existing data for worker health
surveillance and evaluate their suitability for
ongoing prevention programs.
3.35. National administrative data offer cost-
effective insights into the distribution of
deaths, diseases, and injuries across
industries, aiding in identifying areas of
concern and estimating workers' health status.
3.36. Mortality data from death certificates,
medical examiners' reports, and morbidity
data from hospital records are valuable for
surveillance, providing insights into causes of
death and disease occurrences.
3.37. Hospital discharge records and trauma
registries provide comprehensive surveillance
data for injuries, while disease registries and
exposure registries aid in monitoring diseases
with long latency periods.
3.38. Workplace records of injuries and
diseases, manufacturer records, and trade
union data can complement surveillance
efforts, offering valuable insights into workers'
health status.
3.39. Laboratory tests of biological samples
help assess workers' exposure to toxic
substances, serving as indicators of disease
status for surveillance purposes.
3.40. Leveraging existing major surveys
conducted by government agencies can be a
cost-effective way to gather data for workers'
health surveillance, enhancing the
understanding of occupational disorders.
3.41. Surveillance of occupational hazards and
mapping can provide valuable information for
health surveillance and prevention efforts,
identifying known and unknown hazards in the
workplace.
Collection, processing, and communication
of health-related data
4.1. Workers' health data should be collected
with the aim of enhancing health and safety,
aligning with occupational health objectives.
4.2. Information technology use in health
surveillance should be carefully controlled to
prevent data misuse, with specific guidelines
for electronic health records.
4.3. Proper documentation is crucial for
effective workers' health surveillance, with
health professionals contributing relevant
information to personal health files.
4.4. Collection of workers' medical data should
adhere to medical confidentiality and
occupational health principles.
4.5. Personal health data under medical
confidentiality should be stored separately
and accessed only by medical professionals.
4.6. Workers have the right to access their
health records, ensuring accuracy and
facilitating corrections of any errors.
4.7. Confidentiality must be maintained
throughout the workers' health surveillance
process, with secure storage and adherence to
legal requirements.
4.8. Medical information should only be
disclosed according to confidentiality rules and
with the worker's informed consent.
4.9. General health information should be
shared with employers and workers'
representatives for prevention and protection
purposes, implying an obligation for action.
4.10. Attention should be paid to the design of
forms and questionnaires, ensuring relevance
and confidentiality, with revision if necessary
by health professionals.
4.11. Sophisticated investigations in health
surveillance should be limited to necessary
purposes and transparently communicated to
build trust in occupational health
professionals' advice.
Use of health-related data
5.1. Workers' health data should aim to
protect the physical, mental, and social well-
being of workers both individually and
collectively.
5.2. Fitness for employment should be
assessed based on the specific demands of the
job and the worker's abilities, with
consideration for potential adaptations and
rehabilitation.
5.3. Fitness criteria should focus on "no
medical contra-indication" to a specific job,
avoiding oversimplification and ensuring
compatibility with occupational health
principles.
5.4. Health assessments should inform
measures for worker and employer advice,
including lifestyle adjustments, individually
adapted protective equipment, and workplace
adaptations.
5.5. If a worker's health condition poses a risk
to others, clear communication and necessary
remedial actions must be taken to safeguard
everyone's safety.
5.6. When an occupational disease is detected,
remedial actions should prioritize hazard
removal and improving working conditions,
with consideration for alternative
employment if necessary to protect the
worker's health.
Responsibilities, rights and duties
Competent authority
6.1. A national policy on occupational health,
including workers' health surveillance, should
be developed in consultation with relevant
stakeholders and line with international
conventions.
6.2. Laws should support this policy, ensure
worker coverage, coordinate resources
efficiently, and integrate workers' health
surveillance into prevention programs.
6.3. The competent authority should establish
Minimum standards for workers' health
surveillance, ensuring access and
comprehensive assessments.
6.4. The competent authority should
encourage the establishment of occupational
health services, designate specific medical
services, and determine qualifications for
personnel.
6.5. The competent authority should
undertake Supervision, advisory roles, and
dissemination of information on workers'
health surveillance practices.
6.6. National practices on workers' health
surveillance should be reviewed, priorities
established, and a cost-effective approach
adopted without compromising quality.
6.7. A list of occupational diseases subject to
surveillance, periodically reviewed, should be
established by the competent authority,
aligning with international conventions.
6.8. Provisions safeguarding workers' privacy
and preventing discriminatory use of health
surveillance data should be adopted, along
with an appeals procedure for disputes over
fitness for specific occupations.
Employers
6.9. Employers must arrange for workers to
have access to health surveillance during work
hours and at no cost, integrating these
arrangements into the workplace safety
system.
6.10. Employers should ensure that workers
have access to health surveillance tailored to
the risks they face at work.
6.11. Employers can request medical exams
for current or potential employees, but there
must be a valid reason, and for recruitment,
exams should occur after a preliminary job
offer.
6.12. Employers, with input from workers'
representatives, may provide medical
surveillance and health promotion programs,
ideally through organized occupational health
services.
6.13. Employers can seek anonymous health
information from occupational health
professionals for prevention purposes and
must be provided with relevant information to
protect workers' health.
6.14. If a job is deemed medically unfit for a
worker, the employer should make efforts to
find alternative employment or provide
support such as retraining or access to
benefits.
Workers
6.15. Worker representatives and safety
committees, where present, should receive
collective health surveillance reports, ensuring
personal data confidentiality.
6.16. Workers or their representatives should
have a say in organizing health surveillance,
collaborating with health professionals to
prevent work-related health issues.
6.17. Workers must actively participate in professionals should maintain a network of
health surveillance, following guidelines, connections to provide comprehensive
respecting instructions, and attending medical occupational health care.
exams as needed. 6.30. Occupational health professionals should
6.18. Workers undergoing health assessments integrate workers' health surveillance with
should be informed beforehand about the health promotion programs, environmental
purpose and consequences of the assessment, health initiatives, and epidemiological
receiving clear and understandable research, adhering to ethical guidelines.
explanations tailored to their comprehension
level.
6.19. Informed consent is required before any
medical examination, with workers having the
right to individual health advice and the option
to appeal examination conclusions.
6.20. Worker representatives or safety
committees can request collective health
assessments when occupational health issues
are suspected, while workers have the right to
request health assessments if they believe
they have work-related health problems.

Occupational health professionals

6.21. Occupational health professionals should

assist employers, workers, and their
representatives in fulfilling their health and
safety obligations and tasks, adhering to
relevant laws and professional ethics.
6.22. Strict medical confidentiality should be
maintained by occupational health
professionals regarding workers' health
assessments, preventing unauthorized use of
examination results.
6.23. Occupational health professionals must
notify the competent authority of
occupational accidents and diseases as
required by law, providing necessary
information to prevent recurrence.
6.24. Occupational health professionals should
possess and update necessary competence,
making informed decisions regarding workers'
fitness for specific jobs.
6.25. Only qualified physicians or nurses under
their supervision should conduct medical
examinations of workers, ensuring health
assessments are performed by competent
professionals.
6.26. Occupational health professionals may
request additional health assessments beyond
legal requirements to ensure comprehensive
worker health care within the enterprise.
6.27. Upholding professional independence,
occupational health professionals should have
a contract clause on ethics and the right to
contact competent authorities if needed.
6.28. Occupational health professionals should
regularly review their practice, contribute to
referral systems, and adhere to national and
international codes of ethics.
6.29. Facilitating multidisciplinary
cooperation, occupational health
Understanding OSH principles
and their application in the maritime sector
2.1. Understanding OSH principles involves
defining hazards and risks, where a hazard is
the potential to cause harm, and a risk is the
likelihood of harm occurring if exposed to a
hazard, with balancing benefits and costs of
risk-taking.
2.2. Risk assessment in OSH aims to prevent
accidents and diseases by identifying hazards,
using methods like the five-step risk
assessment process, and adapting preventive
measures based on gathered data.
Five-step risk management process
Step 1. Identify the hazards
Step 2. Identify who might be harmed and how
Step 3. Evaluate the risk – identify and decide
on the safety and
health risk control measures
Step 4. Record who is responsible for
implementing which control
measure, and the time frame
Step 5. Record the findings, monitor and
review the risk assess-
ment, and update when necessary
2.3. Preventive principles in OSH prioritize
combating risks at the source, with a hierarchy
of control measures including elimination,
substitution, and technical or organizational
measures, while personal protective
equipment is a last resort.
(1) elimination;
(2) substitution;
(3) isolation or combating of risk at the source;
(4) technical or engineering controls; and
(5) organizational measures.
2.4. OSH management systems, based on the
PDCA approach, involve planning,
implementing, checking, and acting to
continuously monitor performance and adapt
to changing circumstances.
(1) Plan involves the setting of an OSH policy,
including the allocation of resources,
acquisition of skills and organization of the
system, and hazard identification and risk
assessment.
(2) Do refers to the actual implementation and
operation of the OSH program.
(3) Check means measuring the program's
active and reactive performance.
(4) Act closes the cycle with a review of the
system for the purposes of continual
improvement and priming of the system for
the next cycle.
2.5. Continuous improvement in OSH policies
and programmes involves updating risk
assessments with changes in technology,
processes, and incidents to ensure a safe
working environment for seafarers.
The responsibilities of the competent
authority of the flag State
1. Flag States are primarily responsible
for implementing occupational safety
and health (OSH) provisions of the
MLC, 2006, with national legal
frameworks guiding their
responsibilities.
2. Flag States' responsibilities under the
MLC, 2006, include ensuring seafarers'
health protection and providing safe
working environments on ships flying
their flag, developing national
guidelines for OSH management, and
establishing laws and standards for
accident prevention.
3. Each Member State must develop and
publish national guidelines for OSH
management on ships flying their flag,
following consultations with relevant
stakeholders and considering
international recommendations and
standards.
4. Consultations involving shipowners,
seafarers, and relevant bodies should
actively contribute to the
development of national OSH
guidelines, ensuring tripartite review
of policies and legislation.
5. Representative shipowners' and
seafarers' organizations should
advocate for the implementation of
national OSH management guidelines
on ships, promoting safety and health
practices.
The responsibilities of the competent
authority of the flag State
(a) information sessions;
(b) on-board safety guidelines;
(c) systematic risk assessment processes;
(d) national or local joint OSH protection and
accident pre-
vention committees or ad hoc working parties;
and
(e) on-board safety committees which include
seafarers’
representatives.
1. Guideline B.4.3.1, paragraph 2,
outlines the topics to be included in
national guidelines for managing OSH,
 with detailed information available in
Chapter 6.
2. The competent authority can either
create national guidelines itself or
delegate the task to recognized
organizations, ensuring the guidelines'
development responsibility remains
with the authority.
3. The MLC, 2006, mandates Member
States to establish laws, regulations,
and programs for occupational safety
and health (OSH) to prevent accidents,
injuries, and diseases among seafarers.
4. Existing policies and laws may need
adjustments to meet the MLC, 2006,
requirements, sometimes overlapping
with International Maritime
Organization (IMO) conventions.
5. National laws should cover all aspects
of seafarers' safety and health,
including reporting systems for
accidents and diseases, specifying
reporting responsibilities.
6. National laws should ensure safe and
hygienic ship environments,
preventive measures, continuous
improvement, and safety committees
onboard, among other provisions.
7. Research, dissemination of findings,
publication of statistics, and
promotion by shipowners' and
seafarers' organizations are essential
for advancing safety and health
initiatives.
8. Shipowners' and seafarers'
organizations should actively support
safety and health initiatives.
9. International cooperation is crucial for
harmonizing actions and standards in
promoting OSH, with consultation of
relevant ILO codes and international
standards.
10. The ILO, IMO, and WHO have
developed joint standards and
convened expert meetings to enhance
safety and health in the maritime
sector.
11. Regular reviews of national policies
and programs should occur in
consultation with stakeholders to
ensure continuous improvement and
relevance.
12. Regulatory systems must be
periodically reviewed to adapt to
technological advancements and
evolving work methods.
13. Addressing identified problems,
incorporating new developments and
technology, and promoting continuous
improvement are essential for
effective safety and health policies.
14. The competent authority must ensure
the confidentiality of seafarers'
personal data in reporting and
investigating OSH matters, in line with
national laws and ILO guidance.
15. Seafarers should be protected against
coercion or intimidation during
maritime investigations, with
entitlement to repatriation,
accommodations, wages, benefits, and
medical care.
16. Seafarers making safety and health
complaints should not face
victimization, and safety
representatives must be protected
against dismissal for fulfilling their
duties.
The responsibilities of shipowners and
seafarers
1. The MLC, 2006, and ISM Code outline
shipowners' obligations to establish
occupational safety and health (OSH)
policies and programs, emphasizing
the safety and health of seafarers
under 18.
2. Shipowners are responsible for
ensuring that masters have adequate
support to manage OSH effectively
onboard.
3. Establishing a safety culture onboard
requires planning, organization, and
collaboration between management
and seafarers.
4. Shipowners must consult with
seafarers, establish OSH policies
consistent with international
standards, form safety committees,
conduct investigations, and provide
safe accommodations and recreational
services.
5. Guidance to shipowners includes
designing workplaces for safety,
supporting safety committees,
providing resources for safe
conditions, and ensuring proper
communication and training for
seafarers.
6. IMO Circular 3 of 2006 provides
guidance on basic elements of
shipboard OSH programs.
7. Shipowners should recognize the
connection between shipboard safety
and decent living conditions, including
management practices and
communication.
8. Shipowners should establish incident
reporting systems, analyze incidents,
and encourage seafarers to report
unsafe conditions.
 9. Masters are responsible for
implementing shipowners' OSH
policies, fostering a safety culture,
assigning suitable tasks, providing
clear instructions, maintaining safety
equipment, and conducting drills.
10. Masters may delegate responsibility
for OSH policy implementation and
compliance to specific individuals.
11. Seafarers are responsible for
promoting safety culture, cooperating
with masters and shipowners,
attending OSH meetings, using
protective equipment, reporting
hazards, and removing themselves
from dangerous situations.
12. Seafarers should not interfere with
safety devices or processes unless
authorized and must communicate
effectively about safety risks.
The safety committee
1. Safety committees aim to foster
collaboration between shipowners
and seafarers to develop and promote
safety and health onboard ships,
facilitating the implementation of OSH
policies and programs.
2. Functions of safety committees may
include cooperating with
management, planning safe working
conditions, investigating accidents,
proposing preventive measures,
staying updated on OSH provisions,
and making recommendations for
safety equipment and training.
3. Safety committees should include the
master or a designated person
responsible for OSH, safety
representatives, and members
representing all crew levels and
departments, with the composition
reflecting effective representation.
4. Safety committee meetings should be
held regularly, in compliance with
regulations, to ensure continuous
improvement and address safety
issues, with additional meetings
convened after serious accidents or
incidents.
5. Shipowners should appoint or elect
safety representatives who participate
in safety committee meetings, have
access to information, contribute to
risk assessments, and receive
appropriate training and instructions.
6. Safety officers, if appointed, should
implement OSH policies, conduct risk
assessments, promote safety culture,
improve awareness of OSH, investigate
problems, and provide training, among
other duties.
7. Safety committee members should
receive sufficient training in OSH,
covering policies, committee tasks,
rights and roles, risk assessment,
incident investigation,
communication, and commitment to
promoting a safe working
environment.
8. Safety committee members should
also have specific expertise in risk
assessment and management,
providing advice on safety concerns,
incident investigation, and supervision
of safety tasks, with resources
allocated for their training and
development.
Reporting and investigation of occupational
accidents, injuries and diseases
Reporting, analyzing, and investigating
occupational accidents aim to identify causal
factors, implement preventive measures, and
integrate lessons learned for continuous
improvement.
(a) The objectives include effective
investigation of causal factors, implementing
preventive measures, and
(b) integrating lessons learned into OSH
policies for continuous improvement.
(c) It assists in identifying regulatory issues,
(d) setting up legal frameworks, and
(e) promoting uniform procedures for
reporting accidents.
(f) The goals are to improve data collection for
reliable statistics,
(g) raise awareness among seafarers and
health-care providers, and
(h) minimize the recurrence of accidents and
diseases.
Reporting of occupational accidents and
injuries
The competent authority should establish
reporting systems and involve relevant
national authorities for occupational accidents
and injuries.
(a) Reporting systems should define
responsibilities,
(b) involve national health authorities, and
(c) have defined timelines for investigations
and reporting.
(d) Shipowners must discuss reports and
preventive measures at safety committee
meetings, while
(e) statistics should record details and research
trends.
(f) Separate injury reports for each seafarer
ensure confidentiality and proper follow-up,
and
(g) progressive development of recording
procedures should be promoted.
(e) Assessment of problems arising from
technological advancements and their impact
on crew composition.
(f) Examination of problems originating from
human errors.

The competent authority must specify the
minimum information required in reports for
occupational accidents and injuries.
(a) It should include ship details like name,
IMO number, and flag state.
(b) The type of ship involved should be
mentioned.
(c) Date and time of the accident or injury must
be recorded.
(d) The geographical position where the
incident occurred should be noted.
(e) Seafarer details such as name, rank,
nationality, and gender are necessary.
(f) Nature of injuries sustained by the seafarer
should be described.
(g) The outcome of the incident, whether
death, recovery, or expected long-term
effects, if known, must be reported.
(h) Environmental conditions like lighting,
weather, and temperature at the time of the
incident should be documented.
(i) The specific location on board where the
injury occurred needs to be identified.
(j) Activities the seafarer was engaged in
during the incident must be documented.
(k) The seafarer's hours of work or rest in the
72 hours prior to the incident should be
recorded.
(l) Details of any other seafarers affected by
the incident must be included.
(m) A brief description of the events
surrounding the incident should be provided.
Reporting and investigating occupational
diseases:
(a) Establishing procedures for shipowners to
report recognized occupational diseases
related to onboard work conditions.
(b) Developing a list of reportable occupational
diseases for seafarers based on international
or national standards.
(c) Recommending health surveillance and
reporting systems based on risk assessments.
(d) Monitoring and analyzing severe health
issues in seafarers in collaboration with
national health authorities.
(e) Investigating suspected new health
problems or clusters of diseases among
seafarers.
(f) Disseminating reports on emerging seafarer
health risks and preventive measures.
(g) Supporting the development of
investigation skills for seafarer health risks.
(h) Raising awareness among healthcare
providers regarding seafarer health risks and
ensuring proper reporting and investigation
procedures.
Confidentiality of data:
Maintaining confidentiality of data as outlined
in section

The facts leading up to the incident should be

analysed to
identify possible causal factors and should be
reflected accurately
in the report. The investigation should focus
upon:
(a) what happened;
(b) how it happened; and
(c) why it happened.

Primary points:
(a) Various aspects of the working
environment affecting safety and health.
(b) Analysis of occupational accidents and
injuries across different age groups.
(c) Identification of physiological or
psychological issues due to shipboard
conditions.
(d) Addressing physical stress issues, especially
related to workload.