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Four United Nations agencies have issued a joint statement urging stakeholders to collaborate to prevent undue hardship to seafarers during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. UN to collaboratively support seafarers
The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated the variant B.1.1.529 a variant of concern (VOC), named Omicron, on the basis of advice from WHO’s Technical Advisory Group on Virus Evolution (hereafter referred to as TAG-VE). Read advice from WHO. View WHO article
The Diving Medical Advisory Committee (DMAC) has issued new a position statement on the importance of COVID-19 vaccination for offshore divers.DMAC’s statement at www.dmac-diving.org/guidance/DMAC-Statement-202110.pdf makes it clear that the known risks of COVID-19 illness and its related, possibly severe complications, far outweigh the potential risks of having an extremely rare serious adverse reaction to vaccination. DMAC strongly recommends that offshore divers and diving personnel follow national recommendations for primary vaccinations and booster doses; and that: “diving contractors wishing to control risks as far as reasonably practicable should take account of this, within the applicable legislative framework”.IMCA’s CEO Allen Leatt, noted:“During
The Offshore Industry Group comprising IADC, IAGC, IMCA, IOGP, ISOA (details below) strongly supports IMO’s designated Day of the Seafarer on 25th June commending the tremendous efforts and sacrifices of seafarers and personnel working in the offshore energy sector who remain critical to ensuring that the world has access to food, medicine, energy and other supplies at this challenging time for society. In recognition of this contribution, the Group encourages its’ collective membership to sound their horns at 12 noon local time.The Industry Group has collaborated, throughout the pandemic, in urging IMO Member States to address the significant challenges faced
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) celebrates the Day of the Seafarer on 25 June 2021 and urges all its Members and those associated with the offshore marine contracting industry, as operators, clients, or providers of services, to recognise the efforts of seafarers and the role they play in the industry. IMCA recognises that hundreds of thousands of seafarers, and many offshore energy workers continue to face personal difficulties being stranded, away from home for months on end, unsure when they will be able to return to their families. Margaret Fitzgerald, Head of Marine Policy and Regulatory Affairs stated:
Secretary General Kitack Lim, International Maritime Organization has recently launched this year’s campaign to recognise the importance of seafarers as key workers.2021 campaign – Fair Future for SeafarersIn the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, seafarers found themselves both on the front line of the global response and subject to difficult working conditions surrounding uncertainties and difficulties around port access, re-supply, crew changeovers, repatriation, etc.In light of this, the 2020 Day of the Seafarer campaign focused its message around urging governments to recognize seafarers as key workers and ease travel restrictions for them to facilitate crew changes.The 2021 Day of the Seafarer campaign will continue
New due diligence tool aims to help businesses uphold their responsibility to protect human rights at sea.A wide-ranging set of guidance has been issued to help enterprises using shipping services to protect the human rights of seafarers, as hundred of thousands are still stranded on ships due to COVID-19 imposed travel restrictions.The Human Rights Due Diligence Tool is a joint initiative of the UN Global Compact (UNGC), the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN Human Rights), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO). View Due Diligence Tool
The shipping industry[1] is once again collaborating to ensure that seafarers are protected against the COVID-19 disease. A Vaccinations Task Force is developing best practice guidance in order to: Ensure a pragmatic approach is taken by Governments to seafarer inoculations;Develop guidelines setting out all the steps necessary to implement a vaccination programme for seafarers; andAddress the legal liabilities for shipowners arising from vaccinations. IMCA Contact Margaret Fitzgerald Head of Legal & Regulatory Affairs Contact Error: Contact form not found. The principles adopted recognise that:Seafarers have been recognised by UN bodies as ‘key workers’ and, as such, countries should vaccinate seafarers
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA) has joined more than 450 companies and organisations around the world by signing the Neptune Declaration on Seafarer Wellbeing and Crew Change in a worldwide call to action to end the unprecedented crew change crisis caused by COVID-19. Launched to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos at the end of January, signatories to the Declaration are seeking to draw the world’s attention to the humanitarian issues and challenges seafarers are facing because of the restrictions implemented by Governments to control the COVID-19 pandemic. IMCA Contact Margaret Fitzgerald Head of Legal & Regulatory
Reuters 21 January 2021Members of Congress have joined state and local leaders in urging California officials to hasten COVID-19 vaccinations for workers at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, the nation’s two busiest, hit hard by pandemic workforce disruptions and surging imports.As of Wednesday, 27 arriving container ships stood anchored off the twin ports complex waiting for berths to clear at terminals piled high with cargo from previous shipments, according to the Marine Exchange of Southern California.The bottlenecks are comparable to those last seen in 2014-2015 at the height of a months-long longshore contract dispute at 29 U.S.
The Maritime Executive – January 2021A group of 85 institutional investors representing over $2 trillion in assets, joined forces calling on the United Nations to take further action to address the ongoing humanitarian crisis for seafarers brought on by the global restrictions enacted to control the coronavirus. In an open letter to the UN Secretary-General, the investors in consultation with key marine organizations such as the International Labor Organisation and the International Transport Workers’ Federation added their voice to the call to recognize seafarers as key workers and specific actions to ensure crews’ health and safety while maintaining global trade.Click here
Ministry of Health includes transport sector professionals among the groups that will receive the doses of the immunizer in the first groupTransport professionals – considered providers of essential services for the development of Brazil – were included in the priority group in the vaccination campaign of the Ministry of Health against Covid-19. The measure is part of the agency’s technical report published on Monday (18).According to the document, truck drivers, port workers (including workers in the administrative area) and employees of national airlines, passenger and cargo subway companies, Brazilian shipping companies, as well as drivers and collectors of public transport
The Dutch Shipowners Association, KVNR, has advised that, as of 00.00 hours on Tuesday 29 December 2020 all nationals (including Dutch and other EU and Schengen nationals) are required to present a negative COVID-19 test result when arriving in the Netherlands from a high-risk area, and the exemption to this requirement that applies to seafarers.The relevant official information has now been published in English on the website of the Netherlands government.Currently almost all countries (including all EU member states) are defined as high-risk area. The limited list of counties labelled as non-high risk (safe countries) is attached (Safe countries with
The International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)’s Marine eCMID Committee considered the potential for remote vessel inspections at its December 2020 meeting, in light of ongoing restrictions at both national and company level due to COVID-19 that can limit both vessel access and the movement of accredited vessel inspectors (AVIs).The Committee determined that remote inspections using the eCMID/eMISW inspection templates would not be appropriate. Some of the issues identified include:Connectivity and bandwidth issues. Time required of vessel crew and inspectors, and the quantity and complexity of information that would need to be transmitted and reviewed. The practical format of the inspection
Following the worldwide news that vaccines for COVID-19 are now a reality, it is paramount that authorities give priority to seafarers in their vaccination programmes, says INTERCARGO, the organisation representing the world’s quality dry bulk shipowners. Read the Release About INTERCARGO
United Nations’ Agencies issue a Joint Statement calling on all Governments to immediately recognise seafarers as key workers, and to take swift and effective action to eliminate obstacles to crew changes, so as to address the humanitarian crisis faced by the shipping sector, ensure maritime safety and facilitate economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic Read the statement here on our website
Please note the issue of two recently published Information Notes advising Members of IMCA’s current policy on: Renewal of Diver Medic Certification During the COVID-19 Pandemic – Rev. 1 Updated Information Note: IMCA D05/20 – Rev 1 ( link) Policy for the validity of diver medicals during the COVID-19 Pandemic Updated Information Note: IMCA D19/20 – Rev 2.1 (link) Call to action Please ensure that you familiarise yourselves with these latest updates and share them with the appropriate individuals within your organisation. All previous versions of these documents have now been withdrawn.
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