The Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI) has released an integrated, industry-wide mapping of crew welfare, wellbeing, and safety data, designed to provide a reference point for shipowners, operators, insurers, and charterers to better understand and act on the human elements of maritime risk.
Funded by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation, the mapping revealed that while seafarer data exists, its application remains fragmented and siloed across the shipping industry. The research identifies that legal definitions of welfare and safety are not being applied consistently, and there are currently no shared industry-wide Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess progress.
Notably, fatigue is routinely miscoded as human error in incident reports, which means the actual drivers of losses are systematically underrepresented. Furthermore, early-warning capabilities are weak because reactive tools often miss leading indicators, despite the raw data existing in separate systems across inspections and crew surveys.
“The information we need to manage human risk well exists, but it is fragmented, inconsistent and rarely connected to the decisions that matter. This has real-world implications for seafarers as well as operational and commercial best practices,” said Ellie Besley-Gould, Chief Executive Officer of the Sustainable Shipping Initiative.
The research found that only a small number of insurers, Protection and Indemnity (P&I) clubs, and shipowners integrate people-risk signals into their operational and chartering decisions, which the researchers suggest could be leading to increased incident rates, off-hire time, and reputational damage.
“To drive real progress for seafarers, we must speak a common language,” said Yves Vandenborn of NorthStandard.
“Currently, the industry’s understanding of welfare and safety is hindered by fragmented data and inconsistent metrics. By establishing uniform definitions and clear KPIs, we can move from isolated insights to a truly integrated landscape.”
The next phase of the initiative aims to grow participation across the value chain to define shared indicators and translate evidence into the frameworks that shape underwriting and finance decisions, with the SSI calling on the sector to collaborate on establishing a standardised approach to managing people-related risks at sea.
“Improving safety and crew welfare starts with a clear, shared understanding of the data the industry can rely on. This mapping represents a meaningful step towards greater transparency, consistency and alignment, helping support more informed dialogue, better decision-making and targeted action,” said Menand Karsan, General Manager, Marine at Rio Tinto.
