32 research outputs found
The XXII World Congress of Apostleship of the sea - the approach to the old and new challenges at maritime work-site
Is the use of external defibrillators on merchant ships justified? Commentary from the Editorial Office
Equity in Maritime Health and Safety" - presentation of the 9th International Symposium on Maritime Health, Esbjerg, Denmark, 3-6 June 2007
Work-related stress at sea. Possibilities of research and measures of stress
The present concept of stress is related with the necessity of triangulation in
research. Triangulation means collecting evidence of stress from at least three sources:
a) precursors – perception and feeling (moderating factors), b) direct consequences, c)
state of health. Is it possible to implement triangulation in the investigations of workrelated
stress at sea?
In the present paper, possibilities of collecting data on the work at sea are analyzed
as regards individual aspects – stages of triangulation. The employment of triangulation
principles to examine stress in persons working at sea requires both time and application
of certain corrections to methodology of examinations carried out in Poland. When
examining seafarers, we deal mainly with subjective information on perception of work
and individual feeling of work-related stress. A proposition to expand the
methodological workshop of examining stress at sea according to triangulation
principles has been presented
Strategies towards health protection in maritime work environment involving the role of health promotion - an invitation to join in discussion
The aim of the paper is to present problems, limitations and advantages of strategies
adopted for health protection at sea, with particular regard to health promotion.
The invitation is extended to IMH readers to join in discussion and to present
suggestions how to improve the present practice of health services for seafarers
Cardiovascular disease mortality in British merchant shipping and among British seafarers ashore in Britain
Background. The objective was to investigate trends in work-related mortality from cardiovascular
disease (CVD) among seafarers employed in British merchant shipping from 1919 to 2005, to
compare CVD mortality among British seafarers at work in British shipping - and ashore in
Britain - with that in the general British population, and to investigate work-related CVD mortality
in British shipping during recent years according to factors such as rank, nationality, location,
and type of ship.
Material and methods. A longitudinal study based on examination of death inquiry files and
death registers, official death returns, and information from occupational mortality decennial
supplements. The main outcome measures were population-based mortality rates and standardised
mortality ratios.
Results. There was an increase in work-related CVD mortality throughout much of the period
from 1919 to 1962, but a subsequent reduction to 2005. Work-related mortality from CVD and
ischaemic heart disease (IHD) was lower among seafarers employed in British shipping than in
the corresponding general population (SMRs = 0.35 to 0.46), but mortality from CVD among
British seafarers ashore in Britain was often increased. An elevated risk of work-related CVD
mortality was also identified among the crews of North Sea offshore ships.
Conclusions. This study shows a healthy worker effect against CVD mortality among seafarers at
work in British shipping, but increased risks among British seafarers ashore in Britain, which
would include seafarers discharged through CVD morbidity and other illnesses. The high risks of
CVD mortality among seafarers in North Sea supply ships may reflect particular work-related
hazards in this sector
Suicides among Polish seamen and fishermen during work at sea
Retrospective data on 51 suicides of Polish seamen and fishermen in the years
1960-1999 during work at sea are presented. The impact of age, rank, and the period of
service upon the incidence of theses suicides is analysed.
Circumstances typical of the marine occupational environment, sources of stress
and individual susceptibility related to the act of self destruction are discussed.
Attention is devoted to suicide risk indicators and possible prevention measures to be
taken among seafarers
Can general cardiovascular risk evaluation facilitate the assessment of fitness for work and contribute to the reduction of cardiovascular incidents among seamen and fishermen? Article for discussion
Apart from accidents and work related injuries caused by external factors,
being the primary cause of death at sea and repatriation of seamen and fishermen from
ship to hospital on shore, acute cardiovascular incidents are the main internal causes of their death, both at sea and on land, as well as of long lasting sick leave and disability
(14).
In the regulations on health requirements for persons working on sea-going ships
and in inland navigation (orders of the Ministry of Health 1993, 1996, 2003, guidelines
(39), EU directives and other national regulations) and in the register of diseases and
conditions disqualifying from such an employment (EU directive, annex to the order of
the Ministry of Health 1993, European Commission (32,33), ILO/WHO guidelines(39),
cardiovascular diseases are only generally mentioned. The minimal scope of
examinations is recommended for seafarers in age up to 50 years, and for older
seafarers, but without the assessment of their occupational risk. This gives rise to
ambiguities in interpretation at the time of issuing their health certificates, and also in
judicature when analyzing cause-and-effect relationship between the occurrence of an
acute cardiovascular incident during the ship’s voyage and conditions of the work at
sea.
Principles, possibilities and benefits are discussed in this paper, which may be
expected from the general assessment of cardiovascular diseases risk at the time of the
health assessment for the work at sea. The risk forecasting, health certification and the
question of choosing primary preventive methods are included in this presentation