THEME: SUSTAINABLE LIFESTYLE FOR SEAFARERSTen-year anniversary SAN conference .................................. 1This year’s SAN prize for innovative marine engineers ....... 2Manager and friend - quite natural on board ..................... 2Unique study on seafarers’ health ........................................ 3SAN has the floor ................................................................... 4

Outlook .................................................................................. 4Swedish Transport Agency information ............................... 5Profile: Martin Hulterström ................................................... 6In brief .................................................................................... 7Cardiovascular specialist: Training sustains people ............ 7

Team spirit, social clashes and smart ship design. These topics and much more besides were discussed at this year’s SAN conference in Gothen-burg. The theme for the day was How to create a sustainable life-style for seafarers and ended with a personal talk by the football star, Torbjörn Nilsson.

The first SAN conference in Gothenburg was in 2004. We then highlighted issues such as the work environment law and shipping, alcohol and drugs, and work environment efforts at Wallenius. A wide range of topics have been covered at subsequent conferences, from ergonom-ics and leadership to accidents and crisis management. Among others participat-ing at this year’s SAN day were two doc-tors, Karl Forsell and Helena Eriksson. They presented a wide-ranging survey

of seafarers’ health showing that social clashes, exposure to chemicals and prob-lems with sleep are common on board. The professor and sleep researcher Tor-björn Åkerstedt also talked about sleep on board. He described how the different

watch systems affect people’s sleep and explained that poor sleep in the long term increases the risk of different dis-eases, including cardiovascular disorders and diabetes. He also underlined the importance of being vigilant about the more direct effects of sleep deprivation.

”Too little sleep results in much worse performance and makes it more difficult for us to take decisions. It also increases the risk of social collisions and conflicts,” he said.

Personal TrainerCardiovascular and sports specialist Mats Börjesson was very clear about the need to move to feel good. Half an hour’s exercise a day, five days a week is enough to significantly reduce the risk of lifestyle

related diseases. Karin Gelkén from Stena Line also

talked about the benefits of exercise. ”We have worked with health issues

for many years at Stena and we have drawn up a health policy, among other things. Our boats are non-smoking, we have a gym on all the ships and there is a personal trainer on board several days a week to give help to those who want it. It is very much appreciated,” she said.

Two crewmembers, John Borgman, chief engineer, and Anneli Borg, chief mate, gave several examples of what can be done to create a good atmosphere at work. Both said it was important to pay attention to every person in the crew and not to be stingy with praise. John had his own theory about why, as he sees it,

Ten-year anniversary SAN conference on a sustainable lifestyle for seafarers

”When we come to the café we have a

pent-up need to talk”

Work environment and safety in shipping YEAR 38 4 /14

Christer Lindvall

2 San-news 4/14

Job satisfaction is important, both for work and the atmosphere on board. This was said by Anneli Borg, chief mate with ACL, when she spoke on the topic of managing and living on board.

A common issue for managers ashore is whether they should be friends with the staff or not. For a ship officer, it is not a question we need to consider, said Anneli Borg. When you are working and living together in a limited area for weeks in a row, it is clear that the manager is part of the social community outside working hours.

”In my opinion, the better you know each other, the easier it is to work together. But that doesn’t mean that the officers have a problem exercising leader-ship and giving orders when necessary,” she said.

As a manager, it is also important to

remember to give praise. ”If the crew work like dogs to make

everything work before we arrive at the next port, nobody apart from us on board knows just how much work has been done. It is essential to praise and encourage people who get involved and take responsibility, especially when they do something that is really outside their own area.

Housewife’s trickOne issue that Anneli has worked a lot with is creating a good sense of social unity on board, not least between the ship-owners Philippine workers on TAP agreements and the Swedes. Over the years, she has found ways of bringing them closer to each other.

”I usually give them heavier jobs that need two or more to get them done. It’s an old housewife’s trick, and I know that it works,” she says.

Other methods of improving harmony between the 25 man crew include games.

”On every crossing we have a theme night, such as a country or a particular decade. We dress up and lay one long table that is related to the theme, then we play games and have competitions. This gives everyone something to talk about and it’s really appreciated,” she says.

Linda Sundgren

”Work environment measures always require commitment and determina-tion, but sometimes also innovation and technical know-how. And that is something that this year’s winners of the SAN work environment prize have shown lots of.

There were problems with the cold on the vehicle deck on board the ship where they worked . There was no heating sys-tem and when the temperature fell below zero, frost started forming. Materials and equipment started to rust and it was an unpleasant environment to be in, for both crew and passengers. Different hea-

ting systems suppliers were contacted, but it would have meant an expensive investment of over SEK two million. The prize-winners realized that the problem

could be solved without costly external companies. They designed a system on their own where the heat surplus in the cooling water system is piped up to the vehicle deck and spread using the ven-tilation fans. While the prize-winners did the planning and design, the ship’s repairmen and motormen took care of the installation. Thanks to their splendid work, the ship now has a car deck with a comfortable temperature of about 20 degrees all year round.”

Read more about the prize winners’ invention in SAN News 3-2014.

there is often a better atmosphere among the engine room crew than the deck crew.

”In the engine room we have to use ear defenders when we are working and we can’t talk to each other. When we come to the café we have a pent-up need to talk and that creates a good atmosphere,” he said.

Ships without teething problemsJan Rasmussen from SAN’s Danish sister organisation, Seahealth, told us about ergonomic design. He showed how work environment experts at Seahealth had helped a ferry company to review the plans for a new ship. The result was a ship

that was easy to work on, almost com-pletely without teething problems and with few comments by the authorities.

”We spent between 40 and 50 hours on the project. The investment paid off from day one for the ship-owner,” said Jan Rasmussen.

Christer Lindvall, from the interna-tional officers’ organisation IFSMA, talked about the need to be in the right place at the right time when rules are being cre-ated, which often takes place internation-ally in the IMO, the EU and the ILO.

”To be honest we don’t need more rules, even though one or two are still missing. The important thing is for the existing rules to be implemented in

national regulations,” he said. The day ended with a talk by the

football star and coach, Torbjörn Nils-son. From a starting-point of sport, he described how to build a well-function-ing workplace with good cooperation between the employees.

”I don’t believe in trying to measure each individual ability to decide how good an employee is. If they had mea-sured Glenn Hysén’s chip shots, he would never have played football. The impor-tant thing is people’s ability to read the game and act for the common good, which applies within organisations and companies as well as in sport,” he said.

Linda Sundgren

Continue from page 1.

Daniel Turkowitch and Per Engström

This year’s SAN prize goes to innovative marine engineers

Manager and friend - quite natural on board

Anneli Borg, ACL.

San-news 4/14 3

Three of four shipboard personnel believe that they are in excellent or good health. At the same time, there is much exposure to harm-ful substances and over 40% of the women were subjected to insults or violations last year. This is shown in a comprehensive study on health among seafarers that was presented at the SAN conference.

In the study Work environment and health on Swedish ships, the health of Swedish seafarers on Swedish ships has been examined. Almost 2,000 shipboard personnel took part in the survey and replied to one hundred questions about contact with hazardous substances, sleep, and discrimination, among other things. Three out of four believe that they are in good health and 85% feel that they have a good capacity for work.

”It is a good thing,” says senior phy-sician Karl Forsell, who led the study. ”Especially given the elevated risk of illness among seafarers and how different the occupation is,” he says.

On the other hand, the survey also shows that there are a number of pro-blems on board. More than 60% of eng-ine room personnel say that they are exposed to oil on the skin daily.

International comparison”It is a little surprising, considering

how much time we have spent explaining the risks of exposure to oil and that there are work gloves which are both heat-resis-tant and oil proof. But I know that some people think it is easier to work without gloves, which could be an explanation

for that high number,” says Karl Forsell. Another aspect that is surprising

among the results is insulting beha-viour and harassment. About 20% of all respondents stated that they had been subjected to these things at some point during the past year, and among women the proportion was twice as high.

”We don’t know why this is, but per-haps it is something to do with people on board working and living together for long periods,” says Karl Forsell.

The compilation of the results is still in progress, but in future Karl Forsell hopes to be able to repeat the study on foreign ships.

”We would like to make an interna-tional study and compare it with our Swedish results.

Linda Sundgren

Unique study on seafarers’ health

In total there were 1963 people who answered the questionnaire: 90% men and 10% women. Of them, 61% worked on the deck, 31% in the engine room and 7% in the ser-vice department. The questionnaire was sent by e-mail to 5000 onboard personnel with different positions. Three out of four respondents had a managerial position. The survey was carried out by four doctors in occupational and environmental health, Karl Forsell, Helena Eriks-son, Eva Andersson and Ralph Nils-son, together with senior lecturer Monica Lundh at the Department of Shipping and Marine Technology at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg.

Klara Ekström, Ship Master student at Chalmers University of Technology”I think the social aspect is crucial, both as a student and as an employee. It is really important to enjoy time together and have a good atmosphere. There must also be adequate protective equipment on board, and as a girl it is not always easy to find something that fits. As a rule most of it is usually a few sizes too large, so to avoid walking round in baggy trousers with a rope around your waist and shoes that you stumble in, I usually take my own equipment when I am on a placement.”

Anna Lundkvist, MMT Sweden AB”The psycho-social work environment is probably the most important thing for feeling at ease and wanting to continue working on board. The crewmembers need to have meaningful tasks that feels rewarding and stimulating, but they also need the opportunity of having active leisure time, which is a challenge for us. We have seven different nationalities on board and what we enjoy doing in our free time differs quite a lot.

Pelle Andersson, regional safety mana-ger, Seko seafarers”Having a good safety culture and an open atmosphere so that people dare to question whether something is wrong without feeling afraid of the consequen-ces. It is also important to have good communications with people ashore. My impression is that people feel good on board, but that women generally feel worse than men. Many people in the service department have problems with repetitive strain injuries and aches in their shoulders and neck.

What do you think is important in creating a sustainable lifestyle for seafarers?

Karl Forsell and Helena Eriksson.

4 San-news 4/14

~ SAN HAS THE FLOOR ~

~ OUTLOOK ~

It is very much better, but there is still a great deal left to do. That is the summary of safety at sea by Chalmers professor and sea safety expert, Olle Rutgersson, 20 years after the Estonia capsized. On the night of 28 September 1994, the ferry ship Estonia sank in the Baltic Sea on a journey between Tallinn and Stockholm. 852 people lost their lives, of which 501 were Swedes. Only 137 survi-ved. The accident was the largest ever in the Baltic Sea in peacetime. Olle Rutgers-son does not believe that the tragedy could happen again in our waters. ”Our maritime safety is more modern since the Estonia disaster and stability is much better than it was then. These days a ferry must be able to remain upright with a half a metre of water on the deck. In Estonia’s time, ships could not even manage one decimetre of water,” he says.

In spite of this, Olle Rutgersson thinks that the stability requirements are far from adequate, in particular on cruise ships. ”Increased stability is by far the best way to improve safety. I have heard other experts who have calculated stability and said that it isn’t good enough. Passenger ships cannot withstand a large amount of damage before they heel over and capsize,” he says. Life-saving equipment also has improved since the Estonia disaster. Life jackets must be fitted with lights, lifeboats are now covered and there is a requirement for fast rescue boats that can be launched to pick up people in the water. But lifting people out of lifeboats or from the water is still a huge challenge, especially if there is a major shipwreck involving several thousand people.

”The rapid life boats we have got should be able to manage three-metre waves. When Estonia sank the waves were four meters high, and it is doubtful whether anyone would dare to launch a lifeboat in that situation,” says Olle Rutgersson.

Linda Sundgren

Maritime safety is more modern 20 years after the Estonia disaster

”If we had measured Glenn Hysén’s chip shots he wouldn’t have played football”

Football star Torbjörn Nilsson about being cautious when measuring skills

For better and for worse, 2014 has been the year for the psycho-social work envi-ronment. After the number of reported occupational diseases due to organiza-tional and social causes increased by 50% over the last four years, stress or other mental strain are now the most common cause of problems. The next most common problem is postures that cause strain and heavy manual hand-ling. We have also seen a trial that was unique in Sweden, where two managers were found guilty in a district court of a serious health and safety offence after an employee committed suicide as a result of harassment at work. To deal with shortcomings in the organisational and social work environment, the Work Environment Authority sent out new regulations for consideration during the

autumn. The bill covers working hours, unhealthy workloads and conflicts and offensive treatment. The binding regula-tions also stress the importance of having clear and realistic goals for this aspect of work environment management - no goals, no action. A good work environ-ment requires continuous and proactive efforts to prevent risks of ill-health and accidents and to focus on health-promo-ting factors. It is the employer’s and the manager’s responsibility to balance all the requirements of the business with the abilities and expectations of the person-nel. To achieve effective work environ-ment management, personnel must also be involved, participate in surveys and take part in the implementation of action plans. Risks in the organisational and social work environment cannot always

be assessed with clear measurements and limits, as can many risks in the physical working environment. We need to work with other methods and models, good ways of communicating with each other and have the courage to leave aside the standard check-list and ask new ques-tions. We are each other’s work environ-ment. Soon it will not only be a moral and human responsibility.

Cecilia Österman

No action without goals

San-news 4/14 5

Estonia and safety cultureThe Estonia tragedy put the spotlight on what are called safety culture issues. It is clear that Estonia’s bow door did not comply with the requirements for a col-lision bulkhead extension, but it seems to have been accepted by the Swedish and Finnish authorities. What this was due to is not possible to ascertain. There is no documentation and no decision on dispensation showing what the inten-tions were when the bow doors were approved. Another outstanding question is why the sea area for Viking Sally/Estonia was changed in the international passenger ship certificate. There was no decision taken by the Finnish or Estonian authorities that this should be so, but it appears that the restriction just disap-peared. The third cultural issue relates to accidents involving bow visors or bow doors. When Estonia’s bow visor fell off it was not the first time a ship had suffered that misfortune. Between 1975 and 1986 there were 16 serious incidents involving bow visors or bow doors on passenger or

cargo ships in the Baltic Sea, but it is clear that the safety authorities responsible had not learned from these. There was no systematic analysis or review carried out. It is likely that several of the outstanding questions arise from shortcomings in the area of safety culture. Nowadays, howe-ver, safety culture has been improved in the maritime sector and most organisa-tions in this sector are working actively on further improvements.

HOW SAFE IS THE WORK ENVIRONMENT ON BOARD?

During the last 20 years, the number of occupational accidents and occupational diseases reported in merchant shipping has remained relatively stable: approx-imately two reports per 100 active seafa-rers per year. These figures include only those occupational accidents and occu-pational diseases that resulted in time off sick or death. In recent years, the most common occupational diseases have been linked to exposure to noise, chemical and biological substances and RSI fac-tors. The results could be interpreted as a stagnation in developments toward a safer working environment during the last 20 years and traditional measures no longer producing their intended effect, i.e. to further reduce the number of occu-pational accidents and diseases. Unfortu-nately there is no great certainty in the reliability of the statistics. This is due to the tendency to report injuries and diseases being affected by changes in the economy, the structure of the national insurance system, changes to procedures for applying for compensation for occu-pational injuries and investigations of occupational injuries. Nevertheless, the figures indicate that occupational acci-dents and diseases among seafarers are twice as common as in other occupations. We may ask the question how much influence the work environment law and developments in regulations over the past 20 years have had.

Additional measures to reduce the number of accidents

Formal safety work is naturally important too; laws, rules and regulations must be complied with, there must be a manage-

ment system with policies, procedures, follow-up, feedback, audits, certification and standards. This is not always suf-ficient though, and informal safety work carried out by committed individuals, work in safety organisations and trade unions, discussions and safety culture must also be encouraged. A good safe-ty culture can provide support and act as a guide for human assessments and decisions in individual situations where instructions are either not in place or are inadequate. A good safety culture means that the parties involved work with a preventive (proactive) perspective. In the long term it may lead to less need for reactive rules in the areas of maritime safety and the work environment, as well as rules become fewer and with a lower level of detail.

International expert group The International Maritime Organization (IMO) appointed a group of experts very soon after the accident. The group drafted a proposal for security improvements to ro-ro passenger ships as well as other pas-senger ships. The expert group’s proposal was presented to the committee on safe seas, which continued the work and pre-pared a SOLAS Conference. At the time of the conference, which was held in 1995, SOLAS underwent a number of changes, most of which came into force on 1 July 1997. The most important requirements were obviously the technical design of bow doors and ro-ro ship stability, above all that ships must be able to withstand a free liquid surface on the vehicle deck. A variety of other improvements were also decided. Requirements that were introdu-ced included:• Certain watertight doors must be kept closed when sailing.• Indicator lamps for all ports in the shell plating must be installed on the bridge. • TV monitoring and systems for the detection of water leaks must be located on the bridge and in the engine control room. It also introduced requirements for the improvement of evacuation routes. Requirements for ”fast rescue boats” were introduced, as well as life jackets being equipped with lamps. Work within the IMO was extensive and was carried out very quickly. The overwhelming number of rules decided on also applied to exis-ting ships, not only for newly built ships.

Estonia special The first issue of the Swedish Trans-port Agency’s magazine, Sjötenden-ser (Maritime Trends), came out in the autumn in Swedish. It takes up maritime safety issues in a wider context and with a deeper analysis, among other things. The first issue focused on marine safety work after the Estonia catastrophe. Below is an excerpt. Sjötendenser can be read as a PDF at www.transporstyrelsen.se and www.san-nytt.se.

~ THE SWEDISH TRANSPORT AGENCY ~

6 San-news 4/14

It is no longer demands for work gloves or a shortage of safety gogg-les that Martin Hulterström, chief safety officer on M/S Nordlink, has to contend with. Instead it is cases of dissatisfaction and poor cooperation that have become more common.

Martin Hulterström realized at a very early stage that a good work environment is important for seafarers. While he was at high school he learned about the pro-blems and risks at sea and was warned to be careful.

”I had a maths teacher who had worked for a long time on product tankers and crude tankers. His body had been affec-ted by all the gases he had inhaled and the engine room atmosphere did not help matters. One of his daughters was born with a brain injury, which he was convinced was due to his occupational background. He told us again and again that we had to be very careful, especially when we were working with chemicals, gases and lubrication oil,” says Martin.

When Martin went to sea at the middle of the 1980s there was a lot that needed to be improved. Protective equipment was sometimes a scarce resource. If it was available it was not used often and safety culture was poor. In the tanker sector we filled with open ullage hatches or tank covers because it was faster. Work clothes did not protect against the cold or chemi-cal splashes.

”One of the first changes I managed to push through in the OT lines as a safety

officer was the issuing of acid-proof win-ter overalls. I worked on a Swedish flag-ged chemicals tanker and we sailed in the North Sea and in the Gulf of Bothnia. If you got caustic soda or sulphuric acid on you, it went straight through your clothes.”

Stress and conflictsThe job as safety officer demanded both staying power and moral courage. Work environment issues were low priority with many people, both at the shipping office and on board.

”In the beginning you were quite often laughed out and ridiculed for doing that work. But there was an older able body seaman who was well-informed in many areas and he supported and encouraged me. It gave me the extra backing that I needed to stand up for my beliefs,” says Martin.

He joined Nordö-Link in 1998. This meant he left tanker tonnage and started in Ropax (rolling cargo and passengers) instead. According to Martin, safety work is no longer focused on the lack of pro-tective equipment or exposure to harmful substances, even though these aspects are still around. The equip-ment required is available or can be orde-red, and the loading deck on the seven year old ferry that sails between Malmö and Travemünde is well-ventilated. Psycho-social problems, on the other hand, have

increased. Martin says that he has to step in more often to mediate in conflicts and have individual talks.

”It could be about anything from ”I can’t work with this or that person” to ”The manager has gone and messed up the schedule again”. These problems have increased in the last six to seven years and they can be quite difficult to sort out.

And when job satisfaction sinks, the risk of sick leave increases,” says Martin.

”If the psycho-social environment is not good, I think the risk is greater that people feel physical symptoms. Also, the risk of accidents increases if you are not really there mentally,” he says, and con-tinues.

”I have tried conflict management talks and listened to both sides. Sometimes it is possible to solve the issue, but it may also end up needing to go further up and someone, unfortunately, may have to be moved. I think that a lot of this sort of thing is related to stress among all the parties involved.”

Martin works two weeks and is then free for two weeks. It fits in well with his family and children, he feels. He has tried working ashore on several occasions, but

says it is not for him.

”This way of living and wor-king is addicti-ve. I feel bet-ter as a person when I work

intensively for a period and can take more time off.”

Linda Sundgren

~ PROFILE ~

Martin Hulterström

Age: 47Family: Wife and two childrenLives: Apartment with lawn in Oxie, south of MalmöJob: Able body seaman with the ship-ping company Nordö-Links, on M/S Nordlink and chief safety officer.Background: Started after high school on the net fishing boat Kr3 Sandö. After a few side-tracks started on a marine engineering programme at college through work experience credits. Since then has almost always worked at sea. Work environment tip: Be stub-born, factual and do your homework.

Martin Hulterström.

”In the beginning you were quite often laughed out

and ridiculed”

From protective equipment to psycho-social issues

San-news 4/14 7

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

Publisher: Lars Andersson, SARF

Editor: 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 Foun-dation.

Production: Breakwater Publishing

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

Exercise is not only good for fitness. It also counteracts a whole range of diseases, increases stress resistance and reduces the risk of conflicts. Professor and cardiovascular-sports doctor Mats Börjesson said this during a speech at the SAN confe-rence.

Exercise is not only useful, it is neces-sary. At least for those who want to live a long and healthy life. But even though many of us have the intention of exer-cising regularly, there are very few that really do it. And without exercise we are less well equipped for strain, not least psychological strain.

“People who do not exercise become stressed more easily than others and run a greater risk of depression and anxiety. We also become irritated more quickly, which in turn increases the risk of con-flict,” he said. Not training also results in a range of adverse physical effects. As well as put-ting on weight it increases the risk of a range of illnesses, including cardiovascu-lar diseases and diabetes. “By moving, you reduce the risk of dying. Sedentary work is actually as dangerous as smoking,” said Mats Bör-jesson.

According to Mats Börjesson we need regular exercise, preferably 30 minutes per day, five days a week. We should not underestimate everyday exercise such as cycling or walking to work or to the shops, using the stairs instead of the lift and avoiding sitting still in front of your computer for a long time. According to a European study that Mats Börjesson presented, Swedes are relatively good at exercising in comparison with other Europeans. At the same time, we are at the bottom of the list when it comes to sedentary work. “Our bodies are designed for movement, and it is not enough to go training for a while in the evening when we have been sitting all day. Get up and walk for a short time during the day, at least once every half hour.

Linda Sundgren

Cardiovascular specialist: Training sustains people

Mats Börjesson listed a number of lifestyle factors which, according to research, strongly affect our health and increase the risk of a range of diseases.

• Bad eating habits• Obesity • High cholesterol• Physical inactivity• Stress• Lack of emotional satisfaction • Smoking • High blood pressure• Diabetes/high blood sugar• Alcohol

Mats Börjesson

”Not exercising is just as dangerous as

smoking”

Noise worst for people already injured

Those already suffering from hearing impairment are more sensitive to noise than their colleagues with normal hea-ring. This is shown in a thesis from Lin-köping University. People with hearing problems suffer more from tiredness in a noisy environment, they find it more difficult to make decisions and interact socially. In Sweden there are 800,000 per-sons with hearing impairment.

(Working Life)

Poor work environment - earlier pensionBoth the physical and the psycho-social work environment affects people’s deci-sion to retire before the age of 65. A new compilation of information ordered by the Work Environment Authority indi-cates the above. Factors that increase the risk of people leaving their working life early include stress, lack of social support, high noise levels and monotonous tasks. Early retirement is most common in ser-vice occupations.

(AV)

Work-related disorders on the increase Every fourth person reports some form of disorder linked to work, which is an increase compared with 2012. This is shown in a study of 16,000 employees carried out on behalf of the Work Envi-ronment Authority. Stress, conflicts and other psychological problems are most common, and this is also the category that is increasing most, especially among women. The second most common rea-son for disorders is strained postures.

(AV)

~ IN BRIEF ~