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Description
The report is a testament to the remarkable resilience of the ships and port interface, and the adaptability of port workers and seafarers during the COVID-19 crisis. It also brings to light the vulnerabilities and trends within the sector. The ability of these workers to manage the shockwave ensured that trade flow continued, sustaining the world. However, this period had severe impacts on their livelihoods, starkly highlighting the industry’s inadequate consideration of its human element and the rapid pace of digitalization. The research employed a unique combination of quantitative and qualitative approaches to explore and cross-validate information. This included an extensive document review, in- depth interviews, and surveys. The application of concurrent mixed methods research was a key feature to learn from simultaneous data sets, “triangulate” the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on ports, seafarers, and families, and recommend avenues for improvement. For ports, the consensus was that preparedness and cooperation are essential to address crises, and the workers need the organizations to demonstrate protection in action. Moreover, workers’ flexibility and creativity prove vital to adjust to crises while technology and digitalization support continuing business operations. Finally, any port health measure needs to assess and monitor the impact on seafarers. For sea workers, the agreement was that COVID-19 has impacted every corner of work and life at sea. The short- and long-term impacts are making visible, including an unmanageable work burden, more tired and unhappy crews, less safe working environment, a high willingness to quit the seafaring profession and a pessimistic forecast of the welfare conditions of seafarers in the shipping industry. The job uncertainties, onboard hardships and life restrictions must be revised for seafarers, underscoring the need for dedicated effort to boost the workers’ morale at sea, promote health and safety and ensure they continue operating efficiently in times of crisis and beyond. For the shipping industry to better prepare and cooperate in future crises, 1) maritime organizations must enable feedback mechanisms for collecting good practices and knowledge sharing during ongoing crises, and 2) must work towards effectively integrating human factors and social welfare into industry practices and regulations.
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.21677/240614
ISBN
978-91-988968-6-2
Publication Date
2024
Publisher
World Maritime University
City
Malmö
Keywords
biosecurity, COVID-19 crisis, human factors, port, seafarer, seafarer’s family, shipping