- The Isle of Man Ship Registry is set to launch the first-ever seafarer welfare app designed by a ship registry.
- Set to launch in July 2020, the app will be free to around 11,000 seafarers sailing on more than 400 vessels under the Isle of Man flag.
One of the world’s leading flag states, the Isle of Man Ship Registry, is set to launch the first ever seafarer welfare app designed by a ship registry, reports Tanker Operator.
Seafarer welfare app
IOM director Cameron Mitchell reports that the app is in the final stages of development, which has been accelerated on account of the pandemic, and is set go live later this month.
It will be available for free to around 11,000 seafarers sailing on more than 400 vessels under the Isle of Man flag.
“The app provides structured welfare support for the seafarer from nutritional advice to live interactive support sessions for mental health and fitness,” explains Cameron, a former marine engineer who spent 17 years at sea with shipping companies including Maersk and Farstad.
Interaction to combat isolation
Even before COVID-19 “it was clear to us that the problem of seafarer mental health was becoming more acute, with seafarers spending more time alone in their cabin than ever before,” he continues. “The app has many functions but a key one is to provide social activities to get seafarers interacting more on-board to combat that isolation.”
Maritime training organisation Tapiit assisted IOM in developing the software and will live stream its support and training sessions via the app.
“Safety is a fundamental pillar of our ethos as a high-quality flag state,” concludes Cameron.
“We hope this app will be a step forward for the industry and make a positive difference to many thousands of seafarers sailing under the Isle of Man flag.”
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Source: Tanker Operator
