I see another Splash247 commentary article on this subject, all be it a short one, popped up on Martin's Twitter feed this morning.
As usual with subjects like this there are those,in their comments poking holes in the information. Rather than poke holes or dispute the data I wish those that can do something about the problem will accept the data and realize that; Even one suicide is one too many!

http://splash247.com/suicide-rate-soars-sea/

I agree totally. As tech superintedant and tech support, I have dealt with individuals I couldn't imagine working with on a ship.
Get a little bit of sociopathic, bullying or narcisitic behaviour, it would be hellish. Even reformed acholics are tough to deal with.

It's hard enough dealing with that stuff ashore.

How do we deal with them, JK?
Traditionally the Captain was "Master under God", and responsible for everything and everybody on board, the Officers and Crew signed "Articles of Agreement" which were basically a contract between the Captain and the rest of the crew. Only the Captain had a direct relationship with the owners and managers.
Nowadays, although everyone has a contract of employment with the owners or managers of the ship, there is no line of communication between the shore management and the Officers and crew. The Captain and Chief Engineer deal with the Technical Superintendents but they aren't interested in Personnel problems, and are increasingly only interested in meeting the financial targets set for them by the "Bean Counters".
Even as Chief Engineer I have found it difficult to raise concerns about the Technical ability of some of the Engineers and Electricians I have had on board and I have have sailed "Back to Back" with a Russian Chief Engineer that reduced his Second Engineers to tears on a daily basis. The second Engineer was not a "Snowflake" but a 50 year Old Polish guy with a lifetime at Sea.
HR Departments don't want to deal with problems like that, and it is left to the Ships Officers to try and deal with it, but we don't have the powers to sack anyone. HR assume that Racism will only exist between the Brits and "Foreigners" and completely fail to understand the deep hatred between the Eastern European Countries and the Russians, between Africans and Asians, Arabs and Jews etc etc.

BP
.

Oh and you forgot misogyny, BP

The new licensing scheme has me looking over the stern....................

Sea Rover wrote:The new licensing scheme has me looking over the stern....................

I've learnt that if you have no control over a sitution, then you can't do that.
You have a 1st and experience. You can easily move into shore positions. Once you get over the shock of not going to sea, it can be a good job.

Do you think the new licensing will put me out of a job? Or simply make it not worth sailing anymore? What other Countries have similar licensing schemes to the one we have just brought in?

Out of a job? No, not at all, if you are prepared to work for $1000 a month.