Merchant seafaring: a changing and hazardous occupation

Abstract

### What this paper adds Currently, the world's merchant fleet encompasses more than 50 000 vessels.1 Approximately 90% of the goods traded worldwide are transported by sea; international transport is the basis for the global division of labour. The goods are transported on container ships, bulk carriers and oil tankers, chemical tankers, reefer ships, general cargo ships and other specialised ships (eg, vessels for the transport of cars, livestock carriers and off-shore supply vessels). This manuscript focuses mainly on merchant seafaring, particularly on the situation on board container ships, the most important ship type in the merchant maritime industry. In recent years, seafaring has undergone economic and technological change.2 This change has been characterised by: