Seacurus, a maritime insurance intermediary company, has launched the seafarer assistance card scheme. This is with a view to provide claim notification as well as assist seafarers check for insurance coverage while at sea. These are as per recommendations in the MLC ( Maritime Labour Convention) 2006.
Thomas Brown, Seacurus MD is quoted to have said “Under the soon-to-be implemented MLC 2006 amendments, each MLC- compliant vessel will be required to carry a certificate of financial responsibility, which provides seafarers with details of the financial protection, which the owners have put in place, as well as the details of whom to call in the event of a claim”.
The cards to each seafarer would be issued by the crewing company when they take them on for employment. Cards would be personal to each seafarer mentioning details pertinent to his eligibility and cover.
In the system where crewing companies held the master policy with them, making it available when a claim was made, there was a lack of transparency and the seafarers had no evidence of cover. This new system would provide transparency by being readily available to the seafarers themselves as well as being user-friendly and secure. The additional benefit of the card would be instantaneous access to the Crew SEACURE web portal, where any seafarer can check for coverage, limits and also receive timely notifications.
The company designs and manages financial security of seafarer recruitment and placement as well as provide specialised services to crew management companies.
Thomas Brown, Seacurus MD added “We see a number of referrals from flag state inspectors when crewing companies apply for their MLC approvals. Leading the way with respect to MLC compliance for crew companies are the UK MCA and Transport Canada, both flag state administrations, which require crewing companies operating within their jurisdictions to demonstrate that they have in place a system of financial security to comply with MLC2006 Reg. 1.4, which safeguards the financial interests of the seafarers that such companies place at sea. Seacurus has evolved its CrewSEACURE product range and developed variant wordings to meet these requirements. If MLC 2006 is to fulfil its promise as a seafarers’ bill of rights, it needs the support of products and services that deliver on the intent of the convention”, he said.
Source: TankerOperator
