The Right Crew

The ‘right’ crew for your operations will, of course, depend on the type of vessels you operate, where you operate them, the demands of the sector(s) you operate in, and your own company preferences. We’ve developed a series of briefings which are aimed at assisting North Members to attract, recruit and retain the ‘right’ crew. Our briefings are not a ‘how to’ but rather are intended to stimulate thought and discussion by highlighting good practice and innovative ideas. Read more in our employing the right crew area. 

When recruiting new crew members, it’s important that they reflect your business attitudes and culture. It’s important that you not only want to attract, recruit and retain the right crew but also highlight the proper care for them to ensure their safety and success in their role.  North works hard to initiate good practice across the shipping industry; we assist in better care for the seafarer, mitigating claims, reducing costs and improving service to our Members. Find out more on how to attract, recruit and retain the right crew in our briefing series. 

Our Right Crew team is always available for any questions, please contact Colin Gillespie or Belinda Ward to start your journey to getting the Right Crew. 

North’s dedicated crew care programmes aim to reduce incidents and ensure the crew members are kept in good health, and when necessary assist seafarers if they suffer from injury or illness. Mental health is also incredibly important to the overall wellbeing of every crew. Through our dedicated My Mind Matters at Sea website we provide useful information and resources for the emotional welfare of seafarers. Additionally, in partnership with ISWAN, we launched Mind Call at Sea, a confidential and dedicated emotional support helpline for seafarers on North insured vessels. North Members also have access to our two enhanced pre-employment medical programmes, which are available in both the Ukraine and the Philippines. We also have a Post Repatriation Medical Scheme for Filipino Seafarers. Finally, if you’re a North Member in need of medical assistance for your crew in the USA, First Call offers fast, reliable and effective support. To find out more on our crew care initiatives, please contact Belinda Ward.

It is important to understand that mental health is not discriminative and can affect anyone at any age. Recognising mental health is the first step in providing the support needed to help recovery. If you notice a change in a crew member’s physical and emotional / behavioural symptoms, you must address the issue. North Members have access to our My Mind Matters at Sea website, which is an important source of information and resources for emotional wellbeing at sea. If you or a member of your crew need to talk to someone about emotional wellbeing, Mind Call at Sea is a confidential helpline North offers to support those struggling.

We have a wide range of resources available to our Members, including  publications, posters and initiatives that can be located on the vessel where they will be most visible to help improve awareness of your safety campaigns. If you are a North member, safety guides are available via your MyNorth area, these include topics on Personal Injury Prevention and A Safety Guide for New Members If you have any more questions, get in touch with our loss prevention team today! We are always on hand to help.