BG Verkehr

• Ocean shipping at BG Verkehr
• Ship Safety Division
• Maritime Medical Service
• Department of Maritime Shipping
• Members Department
• Accident Law Department

Accident insurance and governmental ship safety authority under one roof

Headquartered in Hamburg, the German Social Accident Insurance Institution for Commercial Transport, Postal Logistics and Telecommunication (BG Verkehr) is a statutory corporation under public law. As provider of statutory accident insurance, it is responsible for almost everything that rolls, flies and swims.

Several units of the BG Verkehr are responsible for the ship safety sector:

• Ship Safety Division including Maritime Medical Service
• Department of Maritime Shipping (Prevention Division)
• Members Department (Division provision of services)
• Department of Accident Law (Rehabilitation Division, Recourse)

Ship Safety Division is responsible for safety at sea and maritime labour law

The Ship Safety Division holds an unique position within BG Verkehr. The division is not concerned with matters of the occupational accident insurance body and, therefore, works fairly independently from other divisions of BG Verkehr. The division performs state tasks on behalf of the federal government in the following areas:

• Monitoring compliance with national and international rules and regulations concerning technical ship safety, including stability, fire protection, lifesaving appliances,
• Monitoring compliance with rules and regulations concerning maritime pollution protection, the MARPOL-Convention in particular,
• Determination of minimum safe manning on seagoing ships
• Monitoring compliance with rules and regulations concerning the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code),
• Verification of living and working conditions of seafarers on board (Maritime Labour Convention),
• Testing and certification body for lifesaving , fire protection and marine pollution prevention equipment,
• Monitoring training facilities regarding training in accordance with the STCW Convention,
• Port state control of foreign-flagged ships in German ports.

The Ship Safety Division has a network of specially qualified surveyors at its disposal along the German coast ensuring, with ship surveys, the compliance with the rules and regulations.

The division is responsible for any ship under the German flag operating in commercial maritime shipping (including inshore and deep sea fishing).

For all relevant contact details of the Ship Safety Division please refer to the button Contact details.

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Maritime Medicine is assigned to the Maritime Medical Service

The Maritime Medical Service is part of the Ship Safety Division and responsible for any maritime medical issues. Its tasks include:

• Ensuring medical fitness examinations for seafarers as well as for sea pilots and monitoring the quality,
• General and professional management of the committee for medical equipment in the maritime shipping sector ("Ausschuss für medizinische Ausstattung in der Seeschifffahrt"),
• Approval of medical refresher courses for navigating officers,
• Ship’s doctor registration
• Professional oversight of the Telemedical  Assistance Service,
• Editor of the Maritime Medical Handbook,
• Advice on and assistance with all key questions concerning maritime medicine.

Find further information about the various tasks of the Maritime Medical Service here.

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Department of Maritime Shipping advises shipping companies

The Department of Maritime Shipping of BG Verkehr administers classic tasks of an occupational accident fund in regard to prevention. It advises and supports the affiliated companies and their employers regarding the prevention of work and commuting accidents as well as work-related health hazards and occupational diseases of the shipping sector. Further information on the work of the Department of Maritime Shipping in German can be found on the website of BG Verkehr.

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Members Department is responsible for administering contributions to the accident insurance

The Members Department of BG Verkehr makes sure every member company pays its contributions to the accident insurance and provides reports and evidence. A distinctive feature of the shipping industry is average wages. The social security contributions for seafarers - including accident insurance- are not based on the actual remuneration but on the average wage which is established and adjusted regularly by BG Verkehr drawing on labour agreements. Further information on the current amount of the average wage, contributions and reports to the seafarer’s accident insurance in German can be found on the website of BG Verkehr.

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Department of Accident Law offers support to the insured after a work accident or in cases of occupational diseases

BG Verkehr, as a statutory accident insurance carrier, is responsible for rehabilitation and compensation in cases of work or commuting accidents or occupational diseases. The Accident Department of BG Verkehr also concerns itself with the shipping sector. For optimal assistance any work accidents resulting in an inability to work for more than three days has to be reported to the occupational accident insurance. Further information about accident insurance at BG Verkehr in German can be found on the website.

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