Why Filipino seafarers have fewer reported work accidents than other nationalities – and other mysteries

Sisse Grønsig@teamarbejdsliv.dk

Australian Maritime College

July 28th 2014

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CENTRE FOR MARITIME HEALTH AND SOCIETY

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OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION

• The maritime industry in Denmark• The surviving skills of Filipino seafarers• Cultural aspects of nutrition on board ships• Ideas for collaboration

01-05-2023

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THE MARITIME INDUSTRY IN DENMARK

• 10 % of the worlds tonnage •National and international ships register•Danish maritime authorities• 8 maritime colleges (Ingeneering, navigation, ratings, fishermen), two ships• Separate legislation•Most globalised industry in Denmark• And a parallel universe too• But Maersk is quite influential

01-05-2023

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SAFETY CULTURE AND REPORTING PRACTICES ON DANISH SHIPS

01-05-2023

THE PROBLEM

…I can´t breathe, but still I didn’t report it to the captain because it is my first time working in (shipping company).  You waited for two years…Because I really wanted to become a ex-crew of the (shipping company). I didn’t report it to captain. I don’t like that, I don’t want to break my contract. I like to go home that I had a good performance on board a ship.

A WELL KNOWN MYSTERY

Nationality of injured seafarers

Total number of identified accidents

Time at risk

Accident rate per 1.000 years at sea

Crude IRR Adjusted IRR (95% CI)

West Europeans

321 3038 106 1 1

East Europeans

73 820 89 0.84 (0.65-1.09)

0.65 (0.50-0.85)

South East Asians

68 1670 41 0.39 (0.30-0.50)

0.29 (0.22-0.38)

Total 462 5528 84

Table 2. Incidence of accidents and adjusted IRR aboard Danish cargo ships in international trade in 2003 among different nationality categories. Only accidents which could be merged with a specific employment are included. The adjusted IRR includes adjustment for ship size, charge and age.(Hansen et al, International Maritime Health, 2008, vol. 59)

EXPLANATIONS

• Reporting system: Skewed underreporting• National work practice: The Danes work more

independently and take more risks • National safety practice: Filipinos are more careful

due to lack of social security. • Labor market conditions: Filipino seafarers who

work in international shipping are selected among many

• Employment conditions: differences in length of contract, job security, influence

DESIGN

Differences in reporting rates

Reporting practice

Safety CultureCASES

TO REPORT OR NOT TO REPORT…

Centre of Maritime Health and Safety

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DATA

• 333 accident reports (nine months)• To Radio Medical and DMA• 10 interviews with key persons• 43 interviews with seafarers

Barriers for reporting- Related to nationality

• Criminalization • Reverse rewards• Knowledge and access to information• Job security• Sick pay

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

•Yes the underreporting seems to be skewed•The national culture has very little influence compared to work and employment conditions•Seafarers of all nationalities face the same challenges regarding safety culture • job insecurity• framentation• lack of information

OVERALL CONCLUSIONS

•But the longer from the flag state the more it applies.•Distance measured as • actual distance • language problems• degree of outsourcing • number of agents between seafarers

and principal•The more workforce surplus the more pronounced healthy migrant effect

SAFETY S

Lone sailor? The whole of the social world

Images: colourboxImage: Fabienne Knudsen

SAFETY CULTURE

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THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK•Practice theory

Bourdieu – Field and capital

Vigh – Social navigation

De Certeau – Tactics and strategy

01-05-2023

BECOMING A SEAFARER IN THE PHILLIPINES

Money

School

Agency

PEME

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Navigation

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•Look after your reputation

•Stay fit •And young…

01-05-2023

TO STAY A FILIPINO SEAFARER

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CONVERGENT FACTORS• Contracts

• Security

• Familarity

• Responsibility

• Perceived vulnerability

01-05-2023

Risk and safety

LOOKING AFTER YOUR OWN SAFETY

We see… we try to analyze the situation, if it is like going up or too high we have to do something to be safe. That’s what we are doing – that’s what I am doing to be safe. if I think I’m not good enough, then I try to do something to be safe. Not like just going ahead and never mind anything what happens. I don’t like that because I still have a family, that’s what I’m thinking. I don’t want to be disabled then my family suffers.

(Filipino seafarer)

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June 2009

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IMPLICATIONS FOR SAFETY

•Transparancy

•Trust

•Critical mass in the safety culture

•Reliable information

01-05-2023

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ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS“Why do Filipinos have fewer work accidents than other nationals? – Findings from literature”/ Grøn S. & Knudsen F. (Int Marit Health, vol 63, issue 2, 2012) www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22972549

Report 2: ”Navigating towards Safety – second report from SADIS”/ Grøn S & Richter L (2013) http://static.sdu.dk/mediafiles//6/8/A/%7B68AC3590-EAB0-45B1-BCAD-470295C96457%7DSADIS_2.pdf

“ ‘Blue’ social capital and work performance: An anthropological fieldwork among crew members at four Danish international ships.”/ Grøn, S. og Svendsen,G.L.H. (WMU Journal of Maritime affairs March 2013) http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs13437-013-0041-x

“Fieldwork on board ships: A look inside the ethnographer's workshop.” / Grøn, S & Knudsen, F. (Mercator: Maritime Innovation, research and education, Nr. june, 01.2011, s. 363-368).

“North Sea Filipinos and White Chinese: the construction of ethnic and cultural identities offshore/ Knudsen F. Proceeding from 10th North Sea History Conference.”

01-05-2023

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Thank you!

CULTURAL ASPECTS OF NUTRITION ON BOARD

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THE ANTROPOLOGICAL CONTRIBUTION

Stated purpose: ’get people to wish what they need’…

…the most practical way of avoiding giving offence to anyone in a mixed group is to cook single foods with a mininum of seasoning and serve all condiments separately.’

Juni 2009

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CLAUDE FISCHLER: FOOD, SELF AND IDENTITY

’How do socially constructed norms and representations become internalized – inscribed, so to speak, in taste buds and metabolisms?’

Juni 2009

Fischler, C: Food, self and identity. Social Science Information 1988 27:275

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Omnivore´s paradoxTension between neophobia and neopheliaA human group´s cuisine is a tool to resolve the omnivore´s paradox

The principle of incorporationWe incorporate also the foods properties (become what we eat)- a way to control the body, the mind and the identity.Thus we mark ourselves by what we eat.

Juni 2009

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THE COOK´S ROLE

’He has a firm grip of the galley. I can feel that he wants me to stay out, even if he says the opposite. When I ask if I can help he says ’sure, two minds are better than one’, but: he is so quick to guess ones wishes, open the refrigerator as soon as someone approach it, fill up the plate and all such actions that makes it impossible to take part. He is very subtle, I get the impression that he is actually the one in charge.’

Juni 2009

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COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE FOOD…OR?

’In the galley I heard them say that it took him only two days to complain about the food. He has a reputation for being troublesome.’

Juni 2009

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HIERARCHY IN THE MESS’At the officers´table the Master and the Chief engineer are seated on each side, at their sides their colleages are seated according to their rank,. The first engineer has told me that he changed his seat when he was promoted.’

Juni 2009

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DISGUST WITH THE FOOD OF THE OTHERS

‘…the woman once covered her nose when she entered the mess where the Filipinos were having a fish dish (probably the strong shrimp sauce) and repeated: it’s disgusting, it’s disgusting’. Then all the Filipinos left to the little dishing room to finish their meal.’

Juni 2009

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POINTS FOR DISCUSSION

How to create a seafarers dietA mix of all nationalities?A day for each national cuisine?How to encompass minoritiesHow much can the crew influence and participate?Perhaps we need best practice examples?

Juni 2009

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THANK YOU

Juni 2009

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IDEAS

• Psychosocial work environment on board ships• Collaboration, relational coordination• Sustainable work for seafarers

Juni 2009