Guidance for Ship Operators for the Protection of the Health of Seafarers

Protective Measures Against COVID-19 for Seafarers

Human-to-human transmission of COVID-19 is understood to occur primarily through droplets from a person with COVID-19, e.g. from coughing and sneezing, landing on objects and surfaces around the person.
Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs, sneezes or breathes out droplets.

Standard Infection Protection and Control (IPC) precautions emphasise the vital importance of hand and respiratory hygiene. In particular:
• Frequent hand washing by crew (and passengers) using soap and hot water or alcohol-based (at least 65–70%) hand rub for 20 seconds;
• Avoidance of touching the face including mouth, nose and eyes with unwashed hands (in case hands have touched surfaces contaminated with the virus);
• Seafarers (and passengers) should be encouraged to cover their nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when sneezing, coughing, wiping and blowing the nose then dispose of the used tissue immediately;
• If a tissue is not available, crew should cover their nose and mouth and cough or sneeze into a flexed elbow;
• All used tissues should be disposed of promptly into a waste bin;
• Seafarers should aim to keep at least one metre (3 feet) distance from other people, particularly those that cough or sneeze or may have a fever. If they are too close, other crew members can potentially breathe in the virus; and
• Meat, milk or animal products should always be handled with care, to avoid cross-contamination with uncooked foods, consistent with good food safety practices.