Lloyd’s Register (LR) and the International Seafarers’ Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN) have announced a new Joint Development Project (JDP) aimed at addressing the evolving safety and wellbeing challenges faced by crew members in the superyacht industry. The partnership was formalised at the Metstrade show in Amsterdam.
The collaboration will explore how crew wellbeing influences safety-related behaviours onboard, with the goal of shaping a proactive, human-centred safety culture across the industry. LR will contribute its technical expertise and experience in safety frameworks, while ISWAN will bring specialist knowledge of seafarer welfare and direct engagement with crew.
The project builds on LR’s current safety culture survey across seagoing yachts and management companies, which has highlighted the need for a proactive, behaviour-based approach to safety. Interim findings so far reveal that transparency, crew empowerment and intelligent design are key to reducing risk and strengthening operational integrity.
Engel-Jan de Boer, Global Yacht Segment Director at LR, said: “Together, LR and ISWAN have the opportunity to build on our shared expertise to create meaningful, lasting change. Safety is not just about compliance, it’s about people, leadership and culture. This collaboration gives us a platform to embed those values across the sector.”
ISWAN’s role will ensure that crew wellbeing remains central to the programme, recognising the critical link between mental and physical health and a safe working environment. Their involvement will also help amplify crew voices and encourage greater industry engagement with the human side of safety.
Simon Grainge, Chief Executive at ISWAN, adds: “Crew members are at the heart of every safe and successful operation, yet crew wellbeing is often treated as separate from safety itself. Through this partnership, we aim to ensure that the voices and experiences of crew themselves directly shape how safety is understood and applied in the yachting industry.”
Yacht crew members and shore personnel can access, and complete the 30-minute survey anonymously via QR codes on promotional materials or by visiting Lloyd’s Register’s dedicated survey platform.
