SEAHEALTH Denmark was set up in 1993 as a private institution. The Service operates as an occupational health service for the sector and for the entire Danish merchant fleet.
SEAHEALTH Denmark was set up at the same time as a similar service for the fishing industry. Both Services were intended to strengthen occupational health activities for mariners and fishermen working aboard Danish vessels. The Services are required to promote the health and safety of employees, physically and mentally, and to prevent industrial accidents and to create and expand the basis for the work done by shipboard safety committees to enable them to be better able to solve health and safety issues aboard.
Right from the start, the intention has been for the sector to have the greatest possible influence on the occupational health activities provided by the Services. The Services have therefore been established with equal representation by fishermen’s and seamen's associations and employer organisations engaged in dealing with the personnel working aboard vessels at sea. The two Services operate independently and each has its own Board.
The organisation of SEAHEALTH Denmark and occupational health services at sea was slightly different than ashore since both parts came under a single body. This was a good decision that has helped boost the work done by these services since practical consultancy has had a positive impact on the work done in providing information and planning and consultancy has provided feedback from the more broadly based work done on providing information and attitude changing.
In the occupational health reform in 2004, the work of occupational health services in Denmark was reorganized and these services were privatized. At sea, the scheme with the two occupational health services for seamen and fisherman was maintained since it was felt that the scheme provided good value for the sector.
So nowadays SEAHEALTH Denmark still operates as an occupational health service for the sector and as a general occupational health service. As a result of this, we have extensive assignments in mapping, information provision and attitude changing whilst also providing professional consultancy services to the sector with specific advice on occupational health within our four overall fields of: accident prevention, the physical working environment, well-being and health promotion.