Canada’s marine sector is “onboard”to protect workers with mandatory vaccination policies

Canadian marine shipping organizations welcomed new federal mandatory vaccination rules released this week by Transport Canada, and said that marine company policies would be ready to protect the safety and welfare of both their employees and the public.

The Chamber of Marine Commerce, which represents marine industry stakeholders including major Canadian ship operators, shippers, ports, terminals and marine service providers that operate in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence, East Coast and Arctic, had already been working for some time with its partners to develop a model policy that strongly encourages use by members for their own specific operations.

The CMC’s Canadian ship operator members, which operate more than 150 Canadian-flag freighters, tugs and barges, contributed tothe development of the policy. Many of the Chamber’s members and partners, from ship operators to Canadian ports to the St. Lawrence Seaway to pilotage authorities, are federally-regulated and will be impacted by Transport Canada’s new rules. All of CMC’s Canadian ship operator members have already, or will be adopting mandatory vaccination policies for all employees, including onboard crews and shoreside personnel.

Bruce Burrows. President and CEO of the Chamber of Marine Commerce, said: “Marine workers are on the frontlines delivering essential goods for Canada’s economy. They are often working in close quarters and interacting with multiple people at different points and parts of the supply chain. Despite putting in place extensive protective measures during the pandemic, the marine sector experienced a few COVID outbreaks, which in some cases led to hospitalization and, tragically, even the death of one of our seafarers. Mandatory vaccinations are a necessary next step to help protect our employees and to reassure their families and communities that they are working in the safest possible environment.”

Burrows added that he looks forward to working with federal and provincial partners to develop improved ways to deliver booster vaccines to Canadian seafarers. Onboard crews come from all over Canada, are on ships that are continuously operating for weeks/months at a time, and need mobile vaccine clinics in ports. Canadian seafarers struggled to get their first and second vaccine shots previously due to bureaucratic roadblocks, and some were forced to get them at U.S. ports.