Fitter crews and fewer claims

For the past 18 years, the PEME Programme has provided crewmembers with a first rate health check before going to sea while protecting ship owners from claims arising from medical conditions existing prior to employment.

Sophia Grant, head of the PEME programme for the UK Club, explained: “Ensuring that crews are fit and healthy is important to all owners and managers. For the seafarer, PEME offers a regular health check-up that can detect illnesses in the early stages, thus increase the likelihood of quick and full recovery after treatment.”

“It diminishes significantly the risk of crews becoming ill while serving onboard, at times way out to sea and far from professional help.”

The UK Club devised the PEME Programme in August 1996. The decision stemmed from a detailed Analysis of Major Claims which highlighted the incidence of compensation claims arising from pre-employment medical conditions.

Investigations revealed inconsistencies in the standards observed by clinics in making these earlier examinations. Many adhered to the minimal standards required by local authorities. Further, there was no understanding or acceptance of accountability to ship owners for poor and erroneous assessments.

Accordingly, the Club laid down exacting terms for medical examinations based on ILO standards for pre-sea medical assessments. These are set out in the PEME medical examination form, which serves as the basis for a stringent accrediting and auditing process while providing an effective system of quality control.

There are thirteen clinics in the Philippines, twelve in India, four in Croatia, three in South Africa and the UK, two in Romania and Australia, one each in Indonesia, France, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Singapore, Thailand, Ukraine, as well as extensive coverage throughout the USA & Canada.

Examinations must be performed no more than two months prior to the anticipated date of joining ship. Certificates are valid for two years after the examination date.

The main reasons for rejection have been consistently Hepatitis B, Hypertension, PTB, abnormal liver function, diabetes, gall bladder and kidney disease and sight defects. Clinics can offer advice on appropriate treatment and lifestyle changes for those found unfit and when applicants recover fully, they may be reconsidered for sea service subject to re- examination.

Since the programme’s inception, 9667 applicants have been assessed as medically unfit for employment at sea. If all rejected candidates had incurred average claims costs of about US$12,000, the bill would have been well over US$100m. The total cost of all Club PEME examinations to date represent just a quarter of the total cost of the claims had each unfit crewmember joined the ship and subsequently been repatriated.