SUR recommends seafarers avoid employment on ships bound for Middle East
The SEAFARERS' UNION OF RUSSIA (SUR) recommends seafarers possibly avoid employment on ships bound for the Middle East. If it is not possible to reject taking part in such voyages, the crew members should follow the instructions and rules applicable for the commercial fleet, particularly adhere to shipping company’s security policy, says the statement.
SUR says that the situation in the region is getting hot: its threats commercial shipping, the global economy as a whole and seafarers’ health and lives in particular.
It should be added that BIMCO earlier recommended ship owners consider withdrawing of their vessels from the unstable region. According to BIMCO's statement, “the tension in the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf is now as high as it gets without being an actual armed conflict”.
Intertanko in its turn expressed its concern about the safety of its members' crews while the Republic of the Marshall Islands issued safety recommendations for its vessels operating in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz. The Register’s advice is to apply Level 2 safety measures; blow-through cargo tanks of vessels in ballast; assess risks before entering the region; stay alert; establish a communication with all approaching ships; control ultrashort communication and other channels; conduct visual inspection of ships etc.