The Britannia P&I Club recently published its Crew Claims Report covering the years 2023 to 2025 and it makes interesting, if somewhat worrying, reading. Authored by Dr Katherine Sinclaire, the report analyses the 3,000 claims received by the club during the period, and reveals that the majority are due to illness rather than injury.
No less than 60 per cent of the claims resulted from illness, whilst a mere 36 per cent were due to injuries, and four per cent were fatalities.
Of the injuries, hands accounted for 27 per cent, legs 23 per cent, arms and shoulders 15 per cent, back injuries 10 per cent, and a combination of head and eye injuries 15 per cent. We can all picture a scenario aboard a tug where such injuries can happen – moving heavy objects, slinging lifts and using a grinder without proper eye protection to name just a few.
And, as always, most could be prevented with proper planning and a bit more care.
Most of us would rather be sitting in the messroom nursing our fifteenth coffee of the morning than pacing the decks looking for ships in distress.
Turning to the illnesses, Dr Sinclaire tells us that 25 per cent of them are abdominal, while most of the rest seem to be centred on the digestive and reproductive organs. I am going to move swiftly on, because at least on the tugs, we often have access to shoreside medical support, whereas our oceangoing colleagues are at the mercy of the second mate and may have to wait weeks to see a real doctor.
The really worrying statistic is that four per cent of the claims resulted from fatalities. This may not sound like much, but four per cent of 3,000 is still 120 souls who are no longer with us. If all the clubs are recording similar figures, then we are losing an awful lot of seafarers.
Illness accounts for a massive majority of the deaths, at 81 per cent, whilst man overboard cases account for one third of the remaining fatalities. Sadly, it is often impossible to say why people went overboard, but suicide is suspected in a majority of the cases.
Perhaps it is time we were all trained to look for the signs and help our colleagues who might be feeling suicidal.
Equally worrying is the fact that 58 per cent of the deaths from illness were heart-related. Cardiac and circulatory issues accounted for only nine per cent of illnesses, but 58 per cent of deaths.
Most of us would rather be sitting in the messroom nursing our fifteenth coffee of the morning than pacing the decks looking for ships in distress, but a healthier lifestyle has profound advantages.
Reading the report, I also noticed that the majority of the cases involved seafarers in the prime of life. Most were between 25 and 45 years of age. Illness is apparently not confined to the old, which is good news for a man of my age.
The report also contains useful tips on how to recognise and prevent the illnesses and injuries mentioned. It is not very long, and is well worth reading. Your life may depend upon it!
I hope modern shipping is equally colourblind, but there seems no doubt that racism is on the rise.
Earlier I mentioned pacing the decks looking for ships in distress, and I want to return to that topic to discuss a new and unsettling hidden danger to our health. Most rescues at sea happen close to shore, and tugs are ideally placed to respond.
I know many people in the tug business will have rescued perfect strangers in distress, with no thought of reward. The law actually requires us to go to the aid of persons in distress, provided we can do so without risking our own ship and crew, and most tug people would respond without giving it a moment’s thought. We also respect the rescue organisations where volunteers go to the aid of people in distress.
But now, responders who save certain people are facing intimidation and threats from racist thugs. I am, of course, referring to intimidation of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in the United Kingdom, but in today’s global village, I suspect it is only a matter of time before such disgraceful behaviour reaches a port near you.
At least one lifeboat station in England has been forced to close, and all because the RNLI rescue anyone in distress, regardless of race, creed or colour. Their "crime", apparently, was to rescue some illegal immigrants.
During my career, I sailed with people of many different nationalities, and I am proud of the fact that they were judged solely by how competent they were. The highest compliment was that he or she was good at their job, full stop. I suspect it was ever thus, and I read recently that Cutty Sark had crewmembers from more than 30 countries during her relatively brief working life.
I hope modern shipping is equally colourblind, but there seems no doubt that racism is on the rise. The bigots who attack rescue boat crews, and who might come after tug crews if they rescue the wrong people, are not susceptible to reason. All I can suggest is that you try to avoid them. They are cowards who cover their faces, so they are hardly worth our contempt.
It does strike me, though, that the RNLI often has to rescue dogs that fall down cliffs or get swept out to sea. I imagine the rescue boat people will be safe if they save a King Charles spaniel, but may be violently assaulted if they go to the aid of an Afghan hound.
Be careful out there!