Steamship Mutual Launches Crew Pre-Employment Medical Exam

The London-based marine insurer Steamship Mutual, a leading P&I Club, announced that it is launching a structured Pre-Employment Medical Examination (PEME) scheme. The exam provides an “enhanced medical test and screenings to Members’ crew and forms part of the Club’s overall loss prevention initiative,” said the bulletin.

“Initially based in the Philippines and using only pre-approved, recommended clinics to conduct the high quality PEMEs, the scheme is designed to ensure that crew are fit to serve at sea and to protect shipowners and the Club against the risk of unnecessary loss and liability arising from crew illness.”

Chris Adams, Steamship Mutual’s Head of Loss Prevention, commented: “Whilst many crew already undergo medical screenings prior to employment, the quality and range of tests conducted can be variable. It is evident from the Club’s claims experience, that it is not uncommon for symptoms of serious illness to manifest themselves within just a few days of a crewmember joining a ship, with inevitable and expensive consequences.

“The enhanced Steamship Mutual PEME will be more rigorous in order to detect unfit crew and reduce the potential for unnecessary claims. Our scheme aims to reduce the likelihood that individuals who are medically unfit are given clearance to serve at sea”

Steamship Mutual explained that its “PEME will be specifically tailored to detect medical conditions likely to be incurred by crewmembers of particular ages. The cost of a PEME will range between US$75-US$120 according to age, and will be paid by the shipowner or manning agent in the normal manner.”

The bulletin also noted that “many of the Club’s recent crew claims have involved unfit crewmembers with serious medical conditions that should have been detected had a rigorous PEME been conducted prior to employment. Vessels have been forced to make deviations, incurring significant voyage delays, which are costly and highly disruptive, and represent an unnecessary and avoidable loss.”

Source: Steamship Mutual – www.simsl.com