Svendborg-based shipping company M.H. Simonsen has had a visit from UFDS/Sedgwick Care and on that occasion got to know both people and opportunities in the industrial injury insurance better. This is of great value to both the shipping company and seafarers.
»We want to move closer to each other, so they know exactly who to reach out to if they have any questions. Who’s sitting at the other end at UFDS/Sedgwick answering these questions? In other words, a general introduction to a number of different topics within the Workers' Compensation Act.«
This is how Healthcare Consultant and Social Worker Britt Saaby from the UFDS team at Sedgwick Care summarizes the purpose of the member visit she and Policy Employee and Claims Handler Tina Christensen have made to tanker shipping company M.H. Simonsen in Svendborg.
Similar to their recent meeting with Northern Offshore Services, the purpose was to add a face to each other and not least discuss the many options for help and subsidies for the treatment of injuries, as well as for glasses and other aids.
M.H. Simonsen was represented by office assistant Mette Kirk Momme, who has the regular dialogue with, among others, the Danish Shipowners’ Accident Insurance Association and other stakeholders, as well as being responsible for claims and the like when relevant.
Great insight into offers
Also present at the meeting – which took place in English – was Crew Manager Ania Roskam. Stationed at M.H. Simonsen's office in Poland, she handles communication with the Polish part of the shipping company's crews on the currently nine ships Danish flagged vessels – with three more on the way.
»It was really good to get an insight into what UFDS and Sedgwick Care actually have to offer, because there are a lot of different things you can get help with. For both me and Ania, there is great value in the fact that we now have a better overview of the services we can offer our seafarers on this basis,« Mette Kirk Momme says.
»And we also took a lot with us home, Tina and I, because Ania was so generous that she gave us a better understanding of what the treatment system in Poland loos like, what options there are, and also what barriers you have to deal with, because it doesn't look like the Danish healthcare system. In this way, we learn something every single time we visit,« Britt Saaby adds.
Important to report occupational injuries as soon as possible
Specifically, health insurance is something that must be purchased to a large extent in Poland, which only a few of M.H. Simonsen's seafarers have chosen, precisely because they are covered by UFDS if injured. Sedgwick Care can then intervene in specific cases where it is assessed that it can be of value to both seafarer and employer, allowing the injured party to get back to work as well and quickly as possible, Britt Saaby explains.
»And it can be all kinds of help. Maybe you need to be further examined for the discomfort you have, it can also be rehabilitation or just general help to return to work,« she says.
In this context, Britt Saaby emphasizes the importance of shipping companies reporting occupational injuries as soon as possible in order to be able to take advantage of the insurance opportunities offered by UFDS 'to do something more for the employees', as she says.
As an employer with seafarers primarily from Poland, but also Ukraine, Latvia and Lithuania – and of course Denmark – M.H. Simonsen benefits greatly from being able to tell its employees that a safety net has been unfolded beneath to catch them if an accident occurs.
»It provides them with a sense of security, because they know that matters will be dealt with should something happen. They’re not just put ashore having to fend for themselves, there is an insurance policy that takes care of them. And it's nice to be able to offer that to your employees,« Mette Kirk Momme says.
Seeking continuous improvement
She goes on to explain how far M.H. Simonsen goes to retain its seafarers in the event of accidents, and how even in the few cases where a dismissal of a crewmember is necessary according to current legislation, the shipping company makes sure to keep communication open allowing the injured party to return when health permits.
»At Sedgwick Care, M.H. Simonsen is known as an example to follow in terms of taking care of seafarers, and this provides some inspiration that we can take with us as we continue our meetings with the members. Shipping is a very special industry, and there are some special needs, so we’re always on the lookout for ways to up our game even further,« Britt Saaby says.
If you as an employer or seafarer also want to get a deeper knowledge of what UFDS and Sedgwick Care can offer, feel free to reach out to Britt Saaby, Tina Christensen or others from the organization.
