Safety at Sea 2026: Seafarer wellbeing, the evergreen route to maritime success

Dubai: Safety at Sea, Tristar’s annual forum dedicated to seafarer wellbeing returns to Dubai on the 9^th of November 2026.  The forum provides a unique global platform, connecting seafarers live from aboard ships with government authorities and regulators, shipowners, charterers, insurers, shipping associations and other key stakeholders committed to safeguarding seafarer well-being.

The forum enables real-time dialogue between those at sea and their industry decisionmakers, giving seafarers a voice while championing collective action that positively impacts working environments at sea.  Says Eugene Mayne, Group CEO, Tristar Group “At Tristar, we remain deeply committed to the wellbeing of seafarers. They are not only integral to our maritime operations, but also to the vast global maritime industry that keeps supply chains moving. Their resilience is our collective strength and their voice must help shape the future of our industry.”

Seafarer mental wellbeing has never been more topical and central to conversations on the future of the maritime industry than now. Growing awareness of the pressures faced by those working at sea has created a new urgency for long-term action.

Tim Coffin, CEO of Tristar Maritime Logistics, said: "Our colleagues at sea are the foundation of our success as a business.  Seafarers everywhere make a vital contribution to the global economy, working within conditions that are physically hazardous and challenging, for long stretches of time.  The Tristar Safety at Sea Conference recognises the particular importance of mental health and well-being within this context.

Through the conference our goal is to enable solutions that push seafarer wellbeing higher up the agenda for industry leaders and change-makers to enact. The hope is for solutions and sustained support that becomes the norm in seafarer wellbeing.”

The agenda for the forum this year focusses on issues that shape life at sea: workload and performance management, psychological safety and visible leadership, onboard social climate and crew cohesion and real remedies for seafarer mental health.

Industry experts will confront the hard realities of isolation, fatigue, operational overload, extended contracts, repatriation struggles and mental health breakdowns.

Globally renowned maritime leader Dr. Grahaeme Henderson, OBE, Founder of Together in Safety, will Chair the conference and unveil a framework for improving safety at sea, sharing practical measures to prevent fatalities and serious incidents. The conference also welcomes

Carl King, one of maritime's most listened-to podcasters and Susanne Justesen, Director -Human Sustainability at the Global Maritime Forum.

Voices from the medical and pastoral care community will bring critical depth to the conversation, including Dr. Pennie Blackburn, Clinical Psychologist at ISWAN and Ben Bailey, Programme Director at The Mission to Seafarers. Members of the Sharjah Maritime Academy will close out the day, consolidating its themes into a clear, structured framework of practical solutions and responsible stakeholders.

Now into its 8th year, the Safety at Sea 2026 aims to draw stakeholders to a call for action. As the maritime industry navigates unprecedented challenges, the people who keep global trade moving deserve nothing less than an industry that moves for them.

The conference this year is held in association with Seatrade Maritime.  For more information about the Tristar Safety at Sea Conference, including registration details, please visit  https://conference.tristar-group.co