In order to join a marine career or seafarer, you must meet up with all the seafarers medical and health fitness requirements which are very important for you to have a career onboard ships.

 

It’s a mandatory that all men and women who plan to startup a sea career should be in good fitness, mentally & physically health conditions need to be perfect. Following the medical and health fitness examination of the seafarers, the roles indicates that all candidates who are applying for sea job to be free from any kind of bodily defect which may interfere with the efficient performance required from him or her at sea.

 

Main Objective

The main objective of this article is to list the important medical and health fitness examination required from you. There are as follows;

1. Eyes examination

upon your request to apply for seafarers job, you are required to undergo eyes examination, this is to understand your visual condition, since marine job got to do with reading instructions,clear visibility required to maintain a proper inspection, read and write watch log book. Therefore, medical examination on eyes are mandatory to all seafarers and maritime works.

2. Body marks and operations

Most people might have done some major operations or had some deep injuries that might lead to body mark remaining on there body.

This particular medical examination is to check the body marks or know if the employee has undergone any operations or had major injuries that might not require him or her to carry out hard works or stay onboard ship, since ship sometimes face rough weather. To keep you safe at work, this examination is important to all seafarers.

3. Infections or transferable diseases

The major test or medical and health fitness examination which are normally check are regarding individual sickness, which maybe transferable.

This test are being carry out by taking your blood and urine. It’s very important you always go for individual test and make sure you treat or be sure of your health condition.

Thing that maybe likely check are disease like ;

• Epilepsy, convulsions
• Paralysis
• Hypertension
• Cardiac disease
• Tumour
• Diabetes
• Thyroidal disease
• Haematological illness (anaemia, leukaemia, haemophilia etc.)

4. Ear Disease

Onboard ship, works are being carried out with three major organs ie. Ear , eyes and nose. Not only to hear sounds of your equipments, but to listen to communication.

Therefore this examination are being carried out to make sure the employee do not have any ear problem that may lead to Improper hearing or mistakes due to order miss hearing.

5. Weight, hight and mental check

These are check to maintain proper body fitness for every individual who wish to work at sea.

For the men, the weight required is between 45 to 90 kg ( all depends on the hight). While for women are between 40 to 80 kg( also depends on the hight). The hight for the men ranging between 1.5 m to 2m ( can be adjusted base on the company policy)

Why do you need to maintain your weight? Is body weight part of seafarers medical and health fitness requirements ?

 

Individually, maintaining your body weight gives you more better medical and health fitness. This is because it will give your heart and immunity system to function properly. Not only that, you will also be smart, fit and responsive.

See how to maintain proper weight and body fitness

The mental examination is to check your mental health, if it’s possible to keep you onboard. Ship is a place where you may face some mental stress eg work stress, a lots of sounds, storm stress etc.

Therefore if this examination are not being carried out, the individual who might in one way have some mental illness may end up loosing his or her life at sea. Since the SOLAS is to make sure that all lifes at sea are safe, they have listed this examination among the required medical documents to be check.

Conclusion

To come to conclusion of this article, my recommendation is to always visit your medical practitioner, to seek for proper check and treatments for you to meet with the seafarers medical and health fitness requirements.

Maintain good fitness, reduce alcohol and smoking. Always understand that your health is your career. If you have any of the above mentioned, you may end up lossing your career.

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