Theme: Painting inside and out

Applying two-component paints in-volves health risks and both respira-tory protection and coveralls must be used. The same applies when a surface already painted with ther-mosetting plastics is to be sanded or when the paint is being mixed. Those who are not careful risk lung disease and/or severe eczema.

Even though the health risks associated with two-component paints, also known as thermosetting plastics, have been known for a long time people still suffer unnecessarily. There are many examp-les of seafarers who have become ill af-ter inhaling toxic vapours from the paint, or who have developed allergies and eczema after getting paint on their skin. There are no overall figures on the use of protective equipment when using two-component paints on ships. Eddie Janson believes that safety awareness in this area has improved; he works at the Maritrain consultancy, which has been involved with chemicals in maritime transport for many years.

Uncertainties “Workers don’t always know exactly what paints contain and why they are a health risk, but in general they recogni-se that there are risks and use suitable protective equipment. At least, that’s what I have experienced,” he says.

However, he feels there may still be doubts or uncertainties in some situa-tions with thermosetting plastics where not enough care is taken, such as wor-king with already painted surfaces. Even if the paint has been in place for

many years, the toxic substances re-main and when the paint is removed by grinding, welding or other heating pro-cesses, the toxins are released and cre-ate harmful dust or vapours that must not be inhaled.

“As long as the paint hardens as it should and is left alone there is no problem, but as soon as you start to work on it you must use protective gear. When you work with al-ready painted surfaces, you need the same kind of protective equipment and

filter mask as when you’re painting,” says Eddie Janson.

Another risk situation is when paint is being mixed. As the name implies, two-component paints have two parts: paint

and hardener. The hardener is what makes the paint dry and creates a tough and durable surface, but in its liquid form it gives off toxic va-pours that can da-

mage the lungs and cause asthma and bronchitis.

“It is often mixed in the paint store-

Painting carefully with two-component paints

Large amounts of paint are needed to keep a ship in good condition.

Painting carefully with two-component paints ......................1Changed directives on thermosetting plastics ................ 2Water-based paints - a health hazard ....................................3 Editor has the floor ...................................................................4Outlook ......................................................................................4

Tips from San .....................................................................................4The Swedish Transport Agency ....................................................5Technician Niklas Jarenfors likes problem solving ................7Swedish Accident Investigation Authority wants better routines ................................................................................. 8

» Workers don’t always know exactly what

paints contain and why they are a health risk… «

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Work environment and safety in shipping YEAR 43 2/19

2 SAN NEWS 2/19

Changed directives on thermosetting plastics Previously there was one specific directi-ve for thermosetting plastics that clearly stated the requirements for people wor-king with these products. This directive has now been merged with other docu-ments and information on thermosetting plastics is now found under various headings such as chemical risks to health and safety, occupational medical examina-tions and exposure limits. With these changes, certain must requirements dis-appeared and were replaced by more ge-neral rules which state that the employer must provide sufficient safety for the use of two-component paints. In the case of some thermosetting plastics, such as epoxy, there are still a number of detailed requirements that must be followed.

Here are some of them, taken from the Work Environment Authority brochure, “Work right with epoxy”:

• Work with epoxy products may only be

supervised and carried out by people who have been given specific training for such work beforehand. You must be able to pro-vide proof of such training with a certifi-cate not older than five years.

• People who work with epoxy must be of-fered a medical examination before star-ting work. Read more about occupational medical examinations, AFS 2005:6, Sec-tions 32-38, AFS 2015:3, and Chemical risks to health and safety, AFS 2014:43, Sections 37 f-g.

• Use disposable long-sleeved protective clothing and gloves so that all your skin is protected.

• What type of protective gloves should be used depends on how long you are expo-sed to epoxy products. The product data sheet that comes with protective gloves must clearly state what chemicals they

protect against and for how long. Wear thin cotton gloves under the protective glove and disposable gloves over the pro-tective gloves. As soon as the disposable gloves become sticky they must be repla-ced.

• If there is any risk of products splashing into the eyes, protective goggles or a visor must be used. Eye wash must be available in case an accident happens. Rinse your eyes and get medical help.

• Protect your lungs. Dust from epoxy products not fully hardened is allergenic. Sanding dust from epoxy products can be harmful to the respiratory system. Use lo-cal air extractors or if that is not possible, respiratory protection with the right filter when sanding. At high temperatures, such as contact with hot surfaces, epoxy can give off toxic gases.

room, but it ’s much better to do it out on the deck in the fresh air,” says Eddie Janson. “It ’s not always possible to do that in the cold season or in bad wea-ther and sometimes you have to mix it indoors, so it ’s important that there is good ventilation in that space. Whether you are indoors or outdoors, though, you must always have a good filter mask with fresh filters, as well as a protective coverall.”

Right proportions“Another thing you need to think about when handling two-component paint is to mix it as it says in the product descrip-tion,” says Eddie Janson. “The result will

not be what you want otherwise.”“If the proportions are wrong the paint will not harden and it continues to be toxic. But you notice it because the painted surface stays wet.”

Linda Sundgren

Facts about two-component paints

This type of paint has two different components: paint and hardener. The paint provides a tough, durable surfa-ce that can withstand a lot of the wear and tear that cargo decks or ship hulls are exposed to, and does not need to be repainted as often as other types. Examples of common thermosetting plastics are epoxy, acrylate and polyu-rethane. When it has hardened the paint is harmless but if a painted sur-face is sanded or heated up, toxic sub-stances may be released and lead to health problems for people exposed to them. Thermosetting plastics can cau-se skin problems in the form of ecze-ma and swelling, lungs problems such as breathing difficulties, asthma and bronchitis and irritation to the eyes and mucous membranes. Thermoset-ting plastics may also be found in oth-er products, such as varnishes and adhesives.

Eddie Janson

Cargo decks need painting often with durable two-component paint.

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SAN NEWS 2/19 3

Preservatives in water-based paints can cause allergies and severe ec-zema with swelling, blisters and it-ching. An extensive study has shown that almost all water-based paints contain harmful preservatives.

In the 1970s and 1980s there were serious health problems associated with paint con-taining organic solvents. This led to a transition to water-based products, which were supposedly less harmful. In recent years, however, it has become clear these paints may also be harmful to health. An EU research study, in which Sweden also participated, was published in 2015 and showed that water-based paints contain large quantities of strongly or extremely strongly allergenic preservatives. A fol-low-up study in 2017 confirmed that fin-ding. Of 60 water-based paints investiga-ted, 94% contained harmful preservatives - and that was only isothiazolinones, one group of allergenic substances. Allergies caused by exposure to preservatives often take the form of eczema with swollen, red, rough skin. Eczema may sound like a rela-tively harmless complaint, but those affec-ted by it will remain over-sensitive for the rest of their lives.

“If a person develops a contact allergy to these substances, the only way to avoid ec-zema is to stop exposure to the products,” says Marie-Louise Lind, an occupational hygienist at the skin allergy clinic at the Centre for Occupational and Environmen-tal Medicine, Karolinska Institutet. She often meets patients with different types of contact allergies.

But avoiding these preservatives is ea-

sier said than done. In addition to paint, they are also used in a wide range of com-mon hygiene products such as liquid soap, shampoo, skin cream and washing-up li-quid. For those who have developed an al-lergy, extremely small quantities of the preservatives can cause the eczema to re-appear.

Use protective glovesWater-based paint is particularly harm-

ful if it comes into direct contact with the skin, so gloves should always be worn when painting, preferably gauntlet models with a long wrist cover. There are also sleeves and aprons that protect the body against splashes.

“Plastic and rubber gloves resist water-based paint quite well and there are many different models to choose from,” says Marie-Louise Lind.

Exposure to harmful substances in wa-ter-based paint may take place through the air, either in the form of vapours from preservatives evaporating from a freshly painted surface which may continue over several weeks, or as dust created when a painted surface is sanded. How harmful a paint is depends on what kind of preserva-tives it contains, their concentration and how much exposure the skin receives. It can be difficult to see what the paint con-tains using safety data sheets, however. The list contents is rarely complete and as a user it is difficult to know with any real certainty what a product contains.

“If the amount of preservatives is below a certain level, the manufacturers are not obliged to declare the substance in the sa-fety data sheet - but that does not mean

that the paint is harmless, particularly for those who are sensitive to it,” says Marie-Louise Lind. Preservatives are added to water-based paint to increase its shelf life and prevent the growth of mould and bac-teria.

Linda Sundgren

Water-based paints - a health hazardThe Swedish Painters’ Union has noted a sharp increase of members who have contact allergy after using water-based paint.

Since the risks of water-based paints have become known, the Work En-vironment Authority, in cooperation with the Paint Industry, the Pain-ters’ Union and the Paint and Adhe-sive Companies, has appealed to users of these products to protect their skin when they are painting.

The Work Environment Authority recommends a complete protective suit and access to eyewash when working with water-based paint. A long-sleeved shirt, long trousers and protective goggles or a visor should be used. Gloves should al-ways be used, preferably those that are non-permeable to the paint. Dis-posable nitrile gloves or plastic glo-ves over cotton gloves work well. If any paint splashes on the skin, it is important to wash it away as soon as possible. If you try to wipe with a rag, there is a large risk that the che-micals will be rubbed into the skin.

Work Environment Authority calls for caution

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4 SAN NEWS 2/19

Good reasons for a safe work environmentWork environment management on board should primarily be carried out with a pre-ventive aim. Risk analyses must be carried out, deviations reported and deficiencies taken care of before accidents happen. Alt-hough we certainly work far more proacti-vely now compared to ten or twenty years ago, there are still incidents and accidents that could have been prevented. One pro-blem in this context is that actions to im-prove the work environment are still seen by some as a cost rather than an invest-ment. And clearly, putting a price tag on a prevented accident that would possibly ne-ver have happened is not an easy task. Even if the effect of health and safety actions can be difficult to calculate in pure costs, there are plenty of good reasons to make this

type of investment. Primarily, of course, it is about everybody’s right to avoid sickness or injury due to their work, but research also indicates a number of advantages with health and safety investments that have fi-nancial connections. People who enjoy their job and feel secure are more loyal to their employer, more inclined to do that little extra work and less interested in chan-ging their workplace. Shipping companies with good reputation should also find it ea-sier to recruit staff and a healthy work envi-ronment means less sick leave. Cargo ow-ners who are aware of the risks involved, mainly in the oil industry but other sectors too, are starting to put requirements on the work environment onboard, which is quite understandable. A good work environment

and safety go hand in hand, and it is diffi-cult to argue against the fact that managing a good work environment is far cheaper and more value-adding than having to ma-nage an accident.

Linda Sundgren Editor of SAN News

”Technology is on the way that will dramatically change the way we work on ships in the future”.Monica Lundh, associate professor at the Chalmers University of Technology in Mechanical and Marine Sciences, was talking about smart vessels of the future during the Swedish Mercantile Marine Foundation awards day.

According to a report from the Internatio-nal Transport Workers’ Federation, ITF, on accidents in confined spaces on ships, the number of deaths increased sharply during the past year. Since the first January 2018 until the mid-April this year, 16 port wor-kers and 12 seamen died around the world as a result of suffocation or explosions in confined spaces. This should be compared with 145 reported deaths of this type of ac-cident in the last twenty years. The reason for the sharp increase, according to ITF, is

a combination of a lack of information on the risks and a lack of necessary equipment on some ships. Harmful atmospheres can be formed in confined spaces containing organic loads such as wood products, coal and grain - but also iron and gas. It also hap-pens that there are more injured due to fai-led rescue attempts. One example of such an accident occurred on a bulk carrier in Montevideo, Uruguay, on 13 November last year. The vessel was at berth unloading timber when two port workers went into a

confined space and lost consciousness. A member of the deck crew ran to the rescue. When the respiratory mask he was wea-ring was knocked to one side, he also lost consciousness. One more port worker was injured before the situation was under con-trol. Two of the injured workers died. The latest fatal accident of this type in Sweden occurred in the port of Oxelösund in March last year. A temporary port worker in his 20’s died on a coal ship during the unlo-ading process. (LS)

Sharp increase in deaths in confined spaces

Book the SAN Conference in 2019!The date for the next SAN Conference in Gothenburg is 23 October. This year the theme will be about health-promoting coo-peration. Many interesting speakers have already been booked and after the sum-mer we will get back to you with the com-plete programme and application forms.

~ EDITOR HAS THE FLOOR ~

~ TIPS FROM SAN ~

~ OUTLOOK ~

Work enviromen help with SAN!Order at: info@san-nytt.se eller www.san-nytt.se

WORK ENVIRONMENT COURSE

Interactive course – Better work environment at sea - in Swedish and English. Better work envi-ronment at sea is an interactive course develo-ped by SAN. It is mainly aimed at people who work onboard Swedish flagged ships, but every-one involved in work environment management on ships will find the course useful. The contents are based on the work environment guide for shipping. Read more here or visit the work en-vironment course.

WORK ENVIRONMENT NOTEBOOKWork environment notebook from SAN. SAN has developed a work environment notebook as an aid in systematic work environment manage-ment onboard.It is small and convenient and ea-sily fits into a pocket in your work clothes. In the event of an accident, incident or shortcoming, simply take out the notebook and make a note. The work environment notebook can be ordered free of charge by e-mail: info@san-nytt.se.

WORK ENVIRONMENT GUIDE With the help of the Work Environment Guide, it will be easier to keep track of what laws and regulations require regarding the work envi-ronment onboard, but it can also function as working material for a safety committee, for example. The Maritime Work Environment Guide are available digitally at the SAN website.

SAN NEWS 2/19 5

The Transport Agency spreads infor-mation regularly on important events in the industry. This page has a sum-mary of the latest information. The full text can be read at www.trans-portstyrelsen.se. The text below is also translated into English at www.san-nytt.se.

Risks and accidents in connection with moo-ring work during arrival and departureThe Swedish Accident Investigation Aut-hority (SHK) is investigating an accident that took place in the autumn of 2018 on the Swedish ship Envik (S-238/18) in con-nection with its departure. A crewmember sustained severe injuries and later died in hospital after being crushed by mooring ropes as they were wound in. When SHK publishes its report on the accident we will report on it in more detail. Meanwhile, we will present some other incidents where crewmembers have been injured in con-nection with mooring.

Statistics on mooring acci-

dents

Between 2009 and 2019, there were 52 incidents in the accident database rela-ted to the handling of mooring ropes and capstans. Three people died as a result of injuries that occurred during these pro-cesses. As well as the above-mentioned report on the Envik, you can also read about the Kurland (S-7/13) and the Mor-raborg (S-95/11) reports, which are available on the SHK website. The Morraborg report contains a discus-sion section on the areas that should be regarded as dangerous and tips on literature des-cribing risk assess-ments and calculations on how a snapped mooring rope is likely to move. The Mari-time Joint Work Environment Council has also highlighted risks during mooring in its publication SAN News no.3, 2017. The most common scenario, in 17 cases of 52, is that the mooring rope gets stuck and breaks, or recoils and hits someone. This type of accident often leads to fractures; in our statistics, 8. Getting a hand or foot stuck in a bight is equally common: 17 out of 52 cases. In 8 of these 17 accidents it re-sulted in amputation of body parts for the

person affected. It is not uncommon for personnel to hurt themselves when they jump ashore to lay on or lift off mooring ropes. Sometimes an injury occurs during the jump itself, sometimes personnel get stuck between the mooring rope and the bollard when the rope is being handled. There is really no other protection against this type of accident than being careful during preparations, always being aware of the risks, never working on your own or with worn equipment or under stress.

Statistics in Sweden

During the same time period as above, there were six fatal accidents in Sweden in which crewmembers and stevedores died after entering a hold or nearby unventila-ted space. In these cases the cargo was some form of organic material, such as wood products, coal or fish. In four of the six accidents, other people tried to enter the spaces to help without having any brea-thing aids and were themselves injured, on two occasions losing their own lives. Even if a person is saved from an oxygen-dep-leted space, there is a large risk that the brain sustains such severe injuries that the victim is harmed for life. During one of the most notorious accidents aboard the Saga Spray, one sailor died and another seven people were taken to hospital.

Mooring accident at a lockWhen a ship was entering a lock at slow speed, with fore and aft ropes on bollards, the length of the rope that had been rol-led onto the working capstan was not suf-ficient. The sailors decided to continue

releasing the rope from the storage capstan and then put the excess onto the working capstan, which is a normal proce-dure. One sailor was operating the capstan and the other was ready to move over the last part of the rope,

when the rope unexpectedly jumped over from the working capstan and hit the sai-lor who was handling the rope on the arm. The lash of the rope was so powerful that it broke his arm and required ambulance transport and sick leave. The company has dealt with the accident through debriefing with a risk analysis and extra training on snapback zones and ropes being wound in. To maintain risk awareness during moorings, it is important to review past ac-cidents within the shipping company and

discuss crewmembers’ own experiences of accidents and incidents of this type. It is always important to transfer experience, where older sailors can share lessons lear-ned with less experienced colleagues, re-gardless of the context.

Personal injury during pre-paration of mooring equipment

After departure, two sailors were prepa-ring the mooring ropes for arrival in the next port. One of the sailors operated the capstan on the starboard side using a re-mote control on the port side. The other sailor was on the starboard side to lay the rope correctly and remove the heaving line. When the starboard rope was almost wound on, the heaving line got stuck, be-came stretched and then snapped. The recoil hit the sailor over his knees and knocked him over. The vessel had to re-turn to the quay and an ambulance was called. A fracture to the tibia and damage to soft tissue were verified at the hospital. This event shows what a tremendous force is accumulated in a rope that gets stuck, then breaks and recoils. In this case it was not even a mooring rope but a heaving line, which is not normally very coarse or heavy. Despite this, it caused extensive in-juries.

Fall injury in a tankWhile carrying out maintenance work in a ballast tank a sailor, equipped with fall protection, was about to descend into the tank. When the sailor moved between the ladder and the platform where the job was to be performed, he disconnected the fall protection. Somehow he lost his footing and fell down about five metres into the tank. Fortunately, he did not fall directly but bounced down the ladder onto the tank deck, but could not move due to pains in his hip, chest, shoulder and back. He was raised back onto the deck and could be evacuated from there. With this type of job it is good to use double-safety fall protection, so that one of the links can be moved while the person is still connected with the other. It is unfortunately difficult to be connected and secured in all situations, however. The spreading of information and repeated discussions about risks and how to avoid accidents are thus an important part of any organisation’s safety work. In this case too, the shipping company has worked actively with feedback on the accident and the transfer of experience within the company to reduce the risk of similar accidents reoccurring.

» Between 2009 and 2019, there were 52 incidents reported in the accident database related to the

handling of mooring ropes and capstans.”«

~ THE SWEDISH TRANSPORT AGENCY ~

6 SAN NEWS 2/19

Together with two engine room col-leagues at Finntrader, Niklas Jaren-fors, an engineer, designed a porta-ble shower for accidents involving chemicals. On the Mercantile Mari-ne Foundation’s awards day on 8 May, he and his colleagues were gi-ven SEK 21,000 for their innovation.

The original idea for the chemical shower came from the ropax ferry Finntrader’s first ship’s engineer, who wanted to im-prove safety in the event of a chemical ac-cident. With a portable shower, the che-mical protection suits could be washed directly on site just after a clean-up opera-tion, and in this way the spread of hazar-dous chemicals could be considerably li-mited. The repairmen Joacim Castenson and Niklas Jarenfors and the engineer Royne Loo were given the task of desig-ning the shower.

“Joacim started and he made the stand and frame. When I started my shift I took over and completed the work with Royne, who had many good ideas on how to solve things,” says Niklas Jarenfors.

The shower consists of a steel stand and a high frame with six shower heads, two on the long sides and two on the up-per bar. A three-metre long fire hose is connected to the lower part of the frame and then to the nearest fire hydrant. It only remains to open the tap and let the water flush the suit clean.

“The idea is that the fire group mounts the shower in place and gets everything ready while the smoke divers are wor-king to clean up the chemical leak,” says Niklas Jarenfors. “The only thing needed

for the shower to work is a water supply, but that is not a problem since there are fire hydrants on most places on board.”

Dreamed about ChalmersNiklas Jarenfors says he likes this type of problem solving and innovation work. Sin-ce he was a child, he always dreamed of studying at Chalmers University of Tech-nology in Gothenburg and after finishing upper secondary school he applied for the marine enginee-ring programme. Since his gradua-tion last year he has worked as a repairman with Finntrader and now works as a motor man at Ste-na Jutlandica, but he has no pro-blems with that.

“I definitely be-lieve that as an officer I will be-nefit from having worked as a crewmem-ber. You probably understand better that some jobs can take quite a lot longer than you first think. But now I feel that I’m ready for the next step, and if I was offered an officer’s job I would take it.”

Niklas Jarenfors comes from a family generally interested in technology, but he

is the first who has chosen to go to sea. Unlike his brothers, who both work with IT, he wanted a more practical and hands-on profession.

“It is really cool to finally apply physical and mathematical calculations to so-mething practical and see the concrete results. This job suits me very well,” he says.

Variety, independence and responsibili-ty are the values he appreciates in his job

on board.“The chief engi-

neer may say so-mething like: That machine isn’t wor-king like it should, can you have a look at it? Then you have to thinking for yourself and re-asoning over the symptoms and then fix what’s wrong. Or it could be about an over-

haul, or planned service, and then it’s im-portant what order you do things in. We work with expensive equipment, so you have to be careful with it”.

Linda Sundgren

Technician Niklas Jarenfors likes problem solving

Niklas JarenforsAge: 25.

Family: Mother, father and two brothers

Lives: In Kungälv outside Goth-enburg.

Background: Technical program-me at upper secondary school, Chalmers University of Technolo-gy, repairman at Finntrader, engi-neer at Stena Jutlandica.

Currently: Recipient of Mercanti-le Marine Foundation work re-ward 2019.

Work environment tip: Think twi-ce before acting, and don’t for-get to use ear defenders!

”It’s really cool to finally apply the physical and mathematical calculations”

» Motorman Niklas Jarenfors received his award from the Mercantile Marine

Foundation in Lång-edrag on 8th May. «

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~ PROFILE ~

SAN NEWS 2/19 7

Swedish Accident Investigation Authority wants better routines

Improve the search group’s proce-dures, update instructions for ex-tinguishing fires with C02 and draw up a risk assessment for vehicles being transported. These are the measures that the authority wants Wallenius Marine to carry out after the fire on the Mignon.

On 4 April last year, just before half past six in the evening, the fire alarm went off on Wallenius’ car-transporter Mignon when she was in the South China Sea. A second-hand car on the load deck had caught fire and it rapidly spread to other vehicles, parked very close to each other with open windows. A search group and the ship’s technical engineer soon stated that the situation was seri-ous and that CO2 should be used to extinguish the fire, which was success-ful.

“On the brink”The report on the accident by the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority was pu-blished at the end of March, and concluded that although there was extensive damage to the cargo and the ship, the consequences could have been even worse. Unclear in-structions for triggering the CO2 system led to the extinction process being delayed by over five minutes, which could have re-sulted in the situation getting completely out of control.

“We think it was on the brink - had it ta-ken another ten minutes it may not have been possible to extinguish the fire,” says

Jörgen Zachau, investigator at the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority. “It would then have had devastating consequences.”

Another negative factor was that the cars on the cargo deck had their front windows wound down. The open windows were to prevent the doors from being unintentio-nally locked during transport, but it also meant that the fire spread quickly.

Toxic gasThe Swedish Accident Investigation Autho-rity wants the shipping company to look at new routines to ensure that the cars are completely closed during transportation. The authority also wants procedures for

risk assessment of different types of ve-hicles to be develo-ped, as well as a bet-ter job description for the ship’s search group. Search groups going so far into a fire-filled ve-hicle deck entails

large risks. “In the event of a fire, toxic gases may be formed which are fatal to inhale and it is vi-tal that the shipping company informs the crew of the risks that may arise,” says Jör-gen Zachau. Wallenius Marine has taken a number of measures following the fire. It is in the pro-cess of developing new procedures for trig-gering CO2, a new central control for the fire alarm has been installed and the nega-tive terminal on all second-hand cars will be disconnected during transportation. The report can be read in its entirety at www.havkom.se

Linda Sundgren

» Had it taken an-other ten minutes, it may not have

been possible to ex-tinguish the fire «

The fire on the Mignon caused large damage to the ship and its cargo.

Healthy daylight

Access to daylight at your workplace and being able to see the surroundings in-creases people’s well-being. This is shown by a research summary carried out on behalf of the Swedish Work Envi-ronment Authority. During an average working day, just over 50% of men and almost 70% of women are outdoors in daylight for one hour or less. The report is part of a larger study in which the Swe-dish Work Environment Authority upda-tes its rules on daylight.

(LS)

Working with lifted arms can cause shoulder problems

A newly published research summary shows that there is some evidence of a correlation between working with rai-sed arms and problems with shoulders. Those who work with their elbows abo-ve shoulder height have an even strong-er correlation. The figures are publis-hed on the AFA insurance website. The research summary included 34 diffe-rent studies.

(LS)

More and more countries ratifying the Work Environ-ment Convention The ILO (International Labour Organiza-tion) Work Environment Convention for Shipping has been ratified by 93 nations, which together control 91% of the world trade fleet. The figures are published on the ILO website. Among the most recent countries to join are Chile, Lebanon and Hong Kong.

(LS)

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n ~ IN BRIEF ~

Sjöfartens ArbetsmiljönämndBox 404, 401 26 GothenburgTel: 031-62 94 00E-mail: info@san-nytt.seWeb: www.san-nytt.se/english/

Publisher: Lars Andersson, SARFEditor: Linda Sundgren tel 08-540 645 15, linda@san-nytt.se

Editorial committee: Johan Marzelius, SjöbefälsföreningenMikael Huss, SjöbefälsföreningenKarl-Arne Johansson, SEKO sjöfolk

SAN News is produced with subsidies from the Swedish Marine Work Environment Foundation.

Production: Breakwater Publishing

SAN is a joint body for Swedish Shipowners’ Employer Association (SARF), Maritime Officers’ Association and SEKO Seafarers.