Maintaining a healthy diet, along with adequate rest and sleep, regular exercise and good hygiene, helps to prevent diseases and improve overall health.
Claims related to illness are frequently notified to the Club, with the number of claims reported remaining steady in number over the last five policy years. The Club has partnered with the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) to raise awareness of crew-related illness and to assist our Members in mitigating against related incidents.
It is important to remember that vessels are not only a crew’s workplace but, for set periods of the year, they also consider the on board environment their home. Therefore, a major element of crew welfare is ensuring that this environment encourages a healthy lifestyle. It is with this in mind that the Club is sponsoring ISWAN’s Seafarers’ Health Information Programme (SHIP), an initiative that promotes and distributes health information materials to shipping companies, seafarers’ centres, and direct to seafarers.
It is imperative that whilst on board, all crew members have access to healthy food choices that will enable them to optimise their performance in their role while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The below publications can assist crew members by providing simple dietary information including sources of vitamins and fibre, foods to avoid if on shift work and an outline of the healthy food pyramid.
Please click to view or download the guidance
Guidelines for Healthy Food Onboard Merchant Ships
Healthy Food Advice
This article is the first in a series of articles in which the Club shares guidance and practical tips to our Members to promote good crew health on board. All articles in this series can be viewed here.