COVID-19
In the current climate, ICS is working hard to support our members and the wider shipping community to provide guidance, recommendations and information for shipowners, seafarers and governments.
To help protect the health of seafarers and passengers as well as the general public, the International Chamber of Shipping ensures that best practice regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) is available.
A growing number of guidance documents plus posters including translations into French, Arabic and Spanish are available for free download, plus best practices for completing the pre-transfer conference, as well interactive versions of the ship/shore safety checklist.
Read more on how we support members and find useful links below.
To support our members, seafarers, the wider shipping community and global trade, and to ensure best practice and help is available to all, ICS is:
- Working with international organisations including the International Maritime Organization, the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organizations
- Ensuring that best practice is available and responding to the emerging issues, bringing this to the attention of relevant international bodies and working with partners to identify solutions and make recommendations. To this end, ICS is holding twice weekly conference calls with our members around the world.
- Bundling effort with fellow industry bodies to target the support which ICS together with other industry bodies is able to give and the recommendations we together provide in the most effective way possible. ICS coordinates a weekly call with colleagues from fellow industry bodies.
- Liaising with welfare organisations to ensure we are able to support our seafarers in this difficult time. This is an important group which also ensures that seafarers’ voices are heard by the international organisations. ICS is coordinating a weekly call with various welfare organisations.
- Representing shipowners at the weekly COVID19 Strategy Group call with the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization and the World Health Organization, as well as other bodies such as the European Commission.
- Coordinating action on a wide range of issues, including crew welfare, satellite access, cruise industry workers and liaising with port organisations and class societies to ensure the safe and environmentally sensitive operation of the global shipping sector. To this end, ICS is working with partners, such as the unions and other industry bodies.
Useful links
- http://www.imo.org/en/MediaCentre/HotTopics/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
International Maritime Organization circulars, statements, and advice plus useful links. - https://www.seafarerswelfare.org/news/2020/managing-your-mental-health-during-the-covid-19-pandemicThe video provides guidance and information on managing the mental health of seafarers during the Covid 19 pandemic.
- https://wilhelmsen.com/ships-agency/campaigns/coronavirus/coronavirus-mapWilhelmsen Ships Service has developed an interactive map on current port restrictions
- http://www.covid19atsea.no
Free interactive, internet based COVID-19 tool helping seafarers on board to assess sick crew members or others on board. Also gives guidance on treatment of possible cases of COVID-19 including warning signs to look out for and advice on when to contact TMAS services. Developed by NCMDM and Radio Medico Norway. - https://www.igpandi.org/covid-19
Free online COVID-19 tracker tool helping shipowners, charterers, operators and other parties in maritime to track country and port specific advice around the world, detailing the measures being put in place in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: Data from all 13 International Group Clubs, IMO, WHO and others. - https://sustainableworldports.org/world-ports-covid19-information-portal/Guidance on current best practices, the industry’s collective recommendations to governments as well as regularly updated useful information.
#HeroesAtSea
Watch and share the film about our #HeroesAtSea campaign, highlighting the #crewchangecrisis and the need for governments to take action.
Annual Review 2020
The 2020 Annual Review covers the impact of COVID-19 and the intensifying crew change crisis plus a broad cross-section of such as efforts to decarbonise shipping and the USD 5 billion industry fund to accelerate the R&D of zero-carbon technologies.