81% Of Crew Fatalities Linked To Illness, Not Accidents, Britannia P&I Report Finds

Illness caused 81% of crew deaths reported to Britannia P&I Club during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 policy years. Injuries caused the other 19%, according to a new report.

The report is based on nearly 3,000 crew-related claims recorded over the two years. Cardiovascular conditions were the main cause of illness-related deaths, making up 58%.

Britannia P&I Club prepared the Crew Claims Report with maritime medical specialist Dr Katherine Sinclaire of MedSea.

Jacob Damgaard, Head of Loss Prevention at Britannia P&I Club, said maritime safety is often focused on accidents and incidents at sea. But the claims data shows that illness causes most crew deaths, especially cardiovascular disease.

He said crew welfare should also focus on long-term health and preventing illness.

Illness makes up most crew claims

Britannia looked at claims from 2023 to 2025 to find common risks and ways to reduce them.

Of the nearly 3,000 claims, 60% were for non-fatal illnesses and 36% were for non-fatal injuries. The other 4% were deaths caused by injury, illness or suicide.

These figures cover all claims. Looking only at deaths, 81% were caused by illness and 19% by injury.

Cardiovascular conditions made up 58% of illness-related deaths.

Abdominal conditions were the biggest group among illness claims. Kidney stones linked to dehydration were also a concern for seafarers working in hot conditions.

Younger crew face mental health risks

Suicides and cases where seafarers went missing at sea affected younger crew members more often.

The number of these cases was small. But Britannia found the same pattern in a wider four-year set of claims.

The club said younger seafarers need targeted support and psychological help.

Damgaard said crew safety is not only about preventing physical injuries. The personal and psychological problems faced by seafarers also need attention.

Hand and finger injuries are most common

Injuries are still a common risk onboard, even though illness caused most deaths.

Hand and finger injuries made up 27% of injury claims. Leg injuries accounted for 23%, while arm and shoulder injuries made up 15%.

Back injuries accounted for 10%. Head and eye injuries together made up 15%.

Britannia said these injuries are linked to the physical nature of seafaring. Crew members handle equipment, work with machinery and carry out tasks in changing conditions at sea.

The club said crews should stay involved in safety practices. It also stressed risk assessments, teamwork and open communication about hazards.

Man-overboard incidents

More than one-third of injury-related deaths involved people falling or going overboard.

Britannia said some operational risks therefore continue to affect crews, even though illness causes most deaths.

The report gives recommendations to help members improve safety, crew wellbeing and the way people-related risks are managed.

Damgaard said safety should go beyond simply following rules. He wants prevention to become part of everyday work onboard.

He said lessons from crew claims can help shipowners and crews reduce risks and prevent avoidable harm.

Britannia’s findings are similar to data from other maritime insurers.

Gard’s 2024 Crew Claims Report found that illness caused 74% of registered fatalities. Gard also linked this to World Health Organization data showing that non-communicable diseases, led by cardiovascular disease, cause 74% of deaths globally.

Separate P&I industry analysis found that suicide remains the leading single cause of death at sea.

Reference: Britannia P&I Club