THE Women’s International Shipping & Trading Association (WISTA) Australia will host an online seminar on 10 November at 1300 AEST as part of its series showcasing the diversity of experience of women working in maritime in Australia and supporting skills development.
The seminar will feature a presentation from Dr Michelle Grech, manager of vessel operations at the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA).
Dr Grech will present her unique insights on seafarer safety and welfare, from research to implementation. A particular focus will be the development of the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) revised guidelines on fatigue (MSC 1598) which Dr Grech was heavily involved in and were approved in January 2019.
This revision involved a multi-year process with substantive discussions, debate and effort to ensure that the final product contained relevant material for companies (operators), seafarers and industry alike.
During this time Dr Grech conducted a series of research projects to support the development of the guideline. In particular, she will present details of an Australian Linkage Grant collaborative study conducted in Australia focusing on safety culture in the maritime domain. Data from this study has been used recently to support another research initiative focusing on seafarer welfare and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seafarer mental health.
Dr Grech will also discuss current initiatives at AMSA supporting seafarer welfare and a recent proposal to make amendments to the Maritime Labour Convention to support the development and collation of a global database on fatalities at sea. This proposal is gaining international attention and is seen an important initiative in better understanding seafarer mental health issues at sea.
More information and registration details can be found at the WISTA website.
