A groundbreaking global study, which was published this week by the International Labour Organization, has revealed that that illness and disease are a major cause of seafarer death.
Illness and disease accounted for 139 deaths out of 403 seafarer deaths in the study.
The ILO said the study results highlight the persistent health risks inherent in maritime work.
“Common causes include cardiovascular events—such as heart attacks and strokes—and other non-communicable diseases, which are often aggravated by the physically demanding nature of the job, prolonged working hours, chronic stress, and limited access to timely medical care while at sea,” an official statement from the International Labour Organization.
Captain Noronha, a former merchant seafarer of many years standing who sailed around the world, commented: “timely access to medical care for seafarers is vital and must be provided at all times irrespective of the circumstances, and especially during pandemics. Lamentably, this was not always evident during the COVID pandemic in some well-known advanced and developed nations”.
There were 91 cases of persons overboard who disappeared at sea, and there were 74 fatalities resulting from occupational accidents. Suicides accounted for another 26 cases. A further 37 fatalities were due to a wide range of other causes such as natural deaths, alcohol-related incidents, homicides, and deaths ashore.
Notably, of the 228 cases where the rank of the seafarer was known, about 47% were “able seamen” which the ILO notes reflects their proportion among the total personnel aboard, their greater exposure to high-risk manual tasks and also less training in safety procedures compared to higher ranking personnel.
“The disproportionate number of fatal occupational injuries among able seamen underscores the need for continued investment in safety measures, training, and emergency preparedness,” the ILO stated.
Meanwhile, an analysis of death by department produces further insight. Around 50% of all deaths were related to deck department seafarers. “Deck department seafarers face an almost equal likelihood of dying from occupational accidents, illnesses or diseases, and falling overboard,” the ILO said. It noted that around 26% of deaths were related to the engine room department but that engine room related deaths were more likely to be related to health issues than occupational accidents.
“Although engine room work is inherently hazardous, it typically takes place in a more controlled environment, and crew members often receive specialized safety training,” the ILO stated.
The data was gathered from a world-first data gathering collection organised by the International Labour Organization. An experimental data collection was set up in 2024 to investigate deaths in 2023 in a global first attempt to establish a standardized database on seafarer deaths by cause of death. Enquiries were made of Ministries of Labour and national maritime authorities from around the world. The definitions and classifications used in the enquiry were aligned with the Maritime Labour Convention and various international statistical conventions. 57 countries responded to the enquiry and 51 provided data.
“One of the main findings is that there are notable differences in the availability and quality of the data sources used to generate statistics on seafarers’ deaths,” the ILO notes.
Further details can be obtained from the ILO.
