Shipowners, seafarers’ unions and maritime employers are setting up a global network of quarantine facilities to help seafarers join ships amid fluctuating border policies.
The move comes as the Omicron Variant spurs governments to shut borders, hindering crew changes.
The Crew Enhanced Quarantine International Programme or CrewEQUIP will create a list of trusted and independently-reviewed hotels for crew quarantines. It will run on industry led protocols to ensure crew gets to vessels even if governments increase quarantine requirements.
The programme is led by the International Maritime Employers’ Council (IMEC), the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), and the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF). The trio represents 80 per cent of the global merchant fleet and one million seafarers via 200 affiliated unions.
The group said CrewEQUIP would prevent the shipping industry from returning to its worst crew change crisis in 2020, which saw 400,000 seafarers trapped working on vessels beyond their contracts, with the same number of seafarers unable to join ships.
While a permanent global system with digital vaccine and testing recognition is urgently needed, the group said #CrewEQUIP is necessary to support crew change.
Under #CrewEQUIP, shipping companies and representatives such as crewing agents and vessel managers can sponsor pre-embarkation quarantine facilities for seafarers. These facilities, however, must meet #CrewEQUIP’s stringent standards for hygiene, testing integrity and data security.
A facility must also pass inspections by Lloyd’s Register, the programme’s recognised external auditor, to become and remain recognised #CrewEQUIP providers.
Starting Dec 16, shipowners, shipping companies, and representatives can access the online booking portal to nominate pre-embarkation quarantine facilities at crewequip.org.
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