a sailing ship

Occupational Health Tips for Seafarers

All professions bear health risks. Even the seemingly-cozy white collar jobs in the office cause the workers to suffer from the sitting disease. Here, we will discuss the hazards of working in the shipping industry and how to avoid them.

Get Proper Training

a cargo shipOnce you work for a shipment contractor, you will deal with varieties of goods, and some of which can threaten your life. Improper packaging, careless loading/unloading, and noncompliant stowing increase the risk of dangerous consequences to happen. Flammable goods require special packaging treatment, and so do the toxic chemicals. And to know such information, you have to attend the imdg training. This program is internationally acknowledged, and if you pass it, you will be granted a completion certificate.

Moreover, you must check what occupational health training courses are available in your field. For example, if you work for a contractor from Nordic countries, usually, attending a class that teaches you about work safety in cold regions will be mandatory.

Know How to Eat Healthily

You need foods that can help you to focus during your work because slight negligence in the shipping industry can cost a lot of money and cause a terrible injury. Besides your safety, you have to consider other worker’s too.

According to Seafarerstrust.org, vegetables and fruits must make up the major portion of your diet. The intake of fat, sugar, and salt must be significantly decreased since they can disrupt your metabolism and alter your focus. Also, you need to list all of the ingredients that can cause allergic symptoms to you and the ones that can give your digestive system a problem. No matter how enticing it is to taste the spicy foods in the harbor, you should restrain yourself.

Practice Bodyweight Workouts

a plank poseWhen you are on board, the gym facility is a luxury. You must not count on what your contractor will give you. Instead, you must learn how to exercise effectively and efficiently with only using your own bodyweight. It is important to know that living in the sea for months will affect your motoric balance. If you do not do any physical activities to compensate that impact, you may experience the harmful effect once you land.

Although the shipping industry will require you to do plenty of muscle works, they are not the same as working out. If you end each day with sore muscles, then your workouts have to be the ones that can relax you and improve your flexibility. For instance, you can try yoga. It is a simple, yet beneficial exercise to practice because you only need a mattress and some space in your room.…

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