Tristar Group’s ongoing ‘Safety at Sea’ initiatives looking after the health and well-being of seafarers were recognized by the maritime industry in the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent and Africa during the Seatrade Maritime Awards last December 13. This comes after the Maritime Logistics division of the company conducted its 3rd annual ‘Safety at Sea’ conference on December 8.
Group CEO Eugene Mayne received the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Award from The Mission to Seafarers Regional Director for Middle East & South Asia Andy Bowerman, who coincidentally was one of the main speakers at the December 8 event where he spoke about seafarers as victims of circumstances.
“Tristar will continue to maintain a leadership position in addressing issues related to the plight of seafarers as this is a global issue which needs all stakeholders to come together to improve the health and well-being of our seagoing colleagues,” explained Mayne right after the 3rd conference.
The company has been consistent in its concern for workers at sea. During the 2nd edition held virtually on December 9, 2020, Mayne called for a broader recognition of seafarers as key workers. He was already echoing the Neptune Declaration at that time even before the company became a signatory to it. Signed by more than 850 companies and organizations, the declaration recognizes the shared responsibility of stakeholders to prioritize health and well-being of seafarers and ensure a resilient supply chain.
In the inaugural conference held on November 10, 2019, Mayne explained: "As a key player in the maritime industry, it is our duty to take a leading role to ensure that the physical and mental health of seafarers is treated with the utmost importance. We intend to create a robust platform to discuss and implement an ecosystem that will enable seafarers to seek counselling or professional advice. We welcome all to contribute to make this initiative a success, by taking part and asking questions, to enact positive changes for workers at sea."
Tristar is currently operating a 24/7 helpline which it launched in February 2020 for its crew members through UK-based Sailors Society. This was one of the concrete actions taken after the inaugural conference. Further initiatives were a series of in-person and virtual psychological first aid workshops and engagements with all on board during the height of the pandemic.
The Seatrade Maritime Awards was organized in association with Lloyd’s List, which is one of the world's oldest continuously running journals, having provided weekly shipping news in London as early as 1734. It was published daily until 2013, and is in constantly updated digital format only since then.
