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Maritime Training Services Inc. In case of any conflict between the requirements shown in the movie and the company's safety management system (SMS), please follow the company's SMS requirements Living On Board Like any job, seafaring has its advantages and its challenges. Generous salaries allow seafarers to provide for themselves and their families. On-board crew members often progress in their careers more quickly than their on-shore counterparts. Technological advances allow seafarers to communicate with family and friends more often and more cheaply than in the past. Other advantages include learning many different skills. Building friendships with fellow mariners and visiting countries, cities, and exotic places that you had never imagined. However, work at sea presents its challenges. The job can be physically demanding and lonely. The work can be dangerous and conditions can be uncomfortable. However, if you know about the demands of the job before signing up, you can go into this career with a better understanding of whether life at sea is the right journey for you. In this video, you will learn the most common injuries that seafarers face and how to prevent them, how to avoid fatigue and keep it from affecting your work, Planning for climate extremes on your voyage, and the strategies for overcoming mental challenges of living and working on board. Injuries Seafaring is one of the most physically demanding professions and one of the most dangerous work environments. In this section, we will cover some common on-board injuries and how to prevent them from happening. Work on board often requires handling sharp or hot objects. As a result, hand injuries like cuts and burns are common. To prevent these injuries, wear the right type of gloves and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the job you are doing. Burns, trips, and falls most frequently occur when improper footwear, like sandals and flip flops, is worn, To help prevent foot injuries, wear proper footwear. Keep your feet away from moving machinery, bite of the line and hawsers. Hand and foot injuries can lead to infection if they are not treated properly. Seek treatment immediately for cuts and abrasions. The affected area should be cleaned and treated using first aid techniques. Avoid eye injuries. Exposure to hazardous chemicals or harmful UV or infrared rays can cause eye irritation, vision problems, and even blindness. Wear goggles and glasses when required. For work with sparks, wood chips, paint, metal, or dangerous substances, wear a face shield. Wearing head protection, like hard hats, prevents head injuries from bumps. Pay attention to low structures and frames when passing through different parts of your vessel. Working around heavy objects that are hoisted aloft can drop unto unsuspecting sailors. Constant vigilance is required, especially in heavy seas. Fatigue Many injuries can happen when seafarers are fatigued. According to the Maritime Labor Convention, seafarers cannot work for more than 14 hours in any 24-hour period or for more than 72 hours in any week. Daily rest periods cannot be divided up into more than two periods, and the time between two rest periods cannot exceed 14 hours. Studies have shown that 24 hours without sleep is equivalent to being legally intoxicated. Fatigue is a serious issue while working at sea and a major cause of accidents, injuries, and deaths. Your company should do what it can to minimize employee fatigue by providing a suitable room for rest and by following the required work and rest rules. Even so, it is your responsibility to take care of your own health and safety. Avoid using your rest time for entertainment or other pursuits. Here are some tips for managing fatigue. Arrive at the start of your work period well rested. You can do this by taking your scheduled rest periods and getting the recommended eight hours of sleep per 24 hours. Do not eat a heavy meal before sleep. Your body does not rest well when it has to digest food. Avoid alcohol and caffeine before bedtime as both are shown to disrupt sleep patterns. Record your hours accurately so your management is aware of scheduling problems that do not allow you to get your required rest. Communicate your concerns with your supervisor. If you cannot get adequate rest, they might be able to suggest ways to solve this problem. Climate Extremes. Working in extreme temperatures can cause fatigue and lead to other problems. High temperatures and sun exposure can lead to heat exhaustion, heat stroke, sun burn, skin damage, and skin cancer. To reduce the risk of these health problems, the following is recommended. Drink eight pints, or 4.5 liters, of cool, not iced, water daily. It is best when you drink small quantities of water frequently instead of large amounts a few times a day. Make sure that you consume food or drinks that contains salt or salt supplement to help your body retain fluids. Avoid alcohol. Wear light clothing. Take breaks in shaded areas with access to fresh air. Remove clothing during these breaks to allow your body to cool. Avoid sun exposure during hottest times of the day. Keep your upper body covered, especially your head and neck, to avoid sunburns. Use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, higher if you're fair skinned. Apply it generously and often. Working in cold conditions is as risky as in hot conditions. Cold temperatures impair your ability to do tasks because cold hands are not as precise. Muscles become weak and joints become stiff. Exposure to cold can lead to frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite is an injury that is caused by the freezing of skin and its underlying tissues. If untreated, it can lead to nerve damage and infection. Hypothermia occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce it. This causes your body temperature to drop. And when this happens, your heart, nervous system, and other organs can't work properly. If untreated, it can lead to heart and respiratory failure, and eventually, to death. Signs of stress from cold should not be ignored. These include shivering, poor coordination, blue lips and fingers, confusion, and reduced mental alertness. Follow these tips to help prevent injuries related to cold. Wear appropriate clothing like gloves, hats, warm socks, to maintain a healthy body temperature. Avoid becoming wet as that lowers your body temperature much more rapidly. In wet environments, wool clothing will keep you warmer than cotton and many other fabrics when wet. Communicate your discomfort to supervisors so they can make necessary adjustments to keep your environment safe. Most companies require a medical certificate to begin work. If your health changes after you begin work, your certificate needs to be reassessed by an approved doctor. Ignoring medical changes can invalidate your certificate of health and place your co-workers at risk. Mental Challenges Working and living at sea is hard on the body. It can also be hard on us emotionally. Many seafarers experience loneliness or other emotional problems while working at sea. The life of a seafarer is personally and financially rewarding, but some challenges of this lifestyle include: time away from family and friends, feelings of isolation because of different cultures and languages of crew, pressure to remain at sea to earn money and send funds home, long hours with little sleep, stress associated with dangerous conditions, and sometimes harassment and bullying. Not everyone experiences these challenges, but when they do, they can cause anxiety, depression, insomnia, loss of concentration, alcohol and drug abuse and addiction, physical problems like migraines and stomach and backaches, and tragically, suicide. How can you prevent these problems from affecting you and your shipmates? Here are some recommendations. Accept that feelings of isolation and depression are common, and completely normal when working in this profession. Exercise, physical activity has proven to reduce the symptoms of depression. Exercise, along with following a healthy diet, can help protect your mental health. Talk with someone you trust when you feel lonely or depressed. Many seafarers fear being seen as weak when asking for help or talking about their problems. But it is very effective at alleviating symptoms of depression. Lastly, encourage your company to create a culture that allows seafarers to seek help when needed. Colleagues and friends are often able to form an impression of a person's mental state much more easily than a doctor. Seafarers can help each other by noticing symptoms and providing support when they see someone in need. What We've Learned In this video you learned the most common injuries that seafarers face and how to prevent them, how to avoid fatigue and keep it from affecting your work, planning for climate extremes on your voyage, and the strategies for overcoming mental challenges of living and working on board. The purpose of this video is not to scare you. Remember that life as a seafarer has many personal and financial rewards. All jobs come with challenges. Knowing these challenges ahead of time will help you deal with the pressures that come with living and working on board a vessel. Being prepared for your new lifestyle will help you adapt to this new career. Your company is responsible for ensuring that you have good living conditions and the proper training to work and live safely on board. But it is your responsibility to follow the rules and regulations to stay safe, healthy, and happy.