Triton 2025 - Magazine - Page 17
FEATURE
FIVE VIEWS ON PSYCHOLOGICAL WELLBEING
Fatigue and lack of shore leave are big issues
Twenty years in the police service followed by a career in the NGO sector, working with homeless
people in the UK and then in international development in Nepal and Pakistan: Simon Grainge says
his previous experiences were incredibly valuable when he took on his current role.
“I came to maritime knowing nothing about it at all. But that can be an advantage, because you
always need a fresh pair of eyes. At 昀椀rst, I thought I knew nothing about seafarers at all. But in my 昀椀rst
career I was working in a very male-dominated environment, so I understood that side of it, and in my
subsequent career I lived and worked in some of the poorest countries in the world. I know what drives
many seafarers to go to sea and understood much more about their lives than I thought I did.”
The helplines and support for seafarers and their families provided by ISWAN build a clear picture of
life at sea. Grainge says topics raised in 2024 were mainly around employment terms and conditions;
recruitment, training and certi昀椀cation; living conditions and onboard culture; and mental health and
wellbeing. “We also saw an increase in discussions about abuse, bullying and harassment, alongside an
increase in calls about mental health.”
Yes, there are inherent challenges to seafaring, he says. “The social isolation, the separation from family,
the danger, the living and working in the same place – all those things have always been there, and
many seafarers would say that’s just the job and how it is.”
However, he says, fatigue and a lack of shore leave have become huge issues. “Because of the small size
of crews, people are having to work more hours. Time in port is short and very busy so the opportunities
for shore leave are reduced, and often modern ports are so far away from any sense of civilisation
anyway.”
Job insecurity is a major factor. “The nature of seafaring is that you go from contract to contract. That
plays on people’s minds. They will put up with anything and are not going to complain if they fear not
getting another contract.”
Grainge emphasises the importance of good leadership. “It’s a tough job, but people will do tough jobs
if they are properly led. But also, psychological safety – the ability to talk about things, speak out when
something goes wrong – is important for the wellbeing of seafarers.”
There is a very real divide between people who have been at sea for years who think ‘you just get on with
it’, and the younger generations who will question things that don’t seem right and 昀椀nd life is tough in a
hierarchical atmosphere and entrenched culture, he warns. “How successful will we be in securing the
new generation if we are still stuck in the past?”
Simon Grainge is CEO of ISWAN,
the International Seafarers’ Welfare
& Assistance Network.
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