Ebola Safety Video Launched for Mariners

"Ebola - Staying Safe," produced by maritime e-learning provider Videotel explains the dangers of ebola and its impact on ships and seafarers

KVH Industries, Inc. is offering Videotel's new video about Ebola safety free to all mariners worldwide in an effort to increase awareness of the prevention measures that can help keep seafarers safe.

KVH has created a website, www.kvh.com/EbolaSafety, for mariners to download the free video and an accompanying workbook. In addition, KVH delivered the video program to its IP-MobileCast customers on vessels across the globe, who will automatically receive the video for immediate viewing onboard. "This is a perfect example of why it is sometimes necessary to send out urgent training updates without delay and not wait for the annual update process," said Nigel Cleave, Videotel chief executive officer.

"The Ebola epidemic is a crisis of worldwide proportions and one where commercial ships and seafarers are at risk given the global nature of their jobs," said Martin Kits van Heyningen, KVH chief executive officer. "Distributing the free video by digital means enables us to get the information to all mariners quickly, especially seafarers who may be in or near a port in the affected region, where it is unsafe to go ashore."

"Ebola - Staying Safe" is a 15-minute training program produced by Videotel, a KVH company, in association with Steamship Mutual P&I Club and a panel of medical and subject matter experts. The video, which includes footage from West Africa and was produced in the last eight weeks to ensure the most up-to-date information, explains what Ebola is, what its symptoms are and how the virus spreads. It outlines the ways in which crew members can protect themselves, and also what steps masters, ship owners and ship managers can take to keep crew members safe from harm.

KVH's initiative to distribute the video to seafarers around the globe is company-wide: Videotel is providing the video free as part of the regular updates for its training program subscribers on more than 11,000 vessels.

KVH is being aided in its video distribution efforts by seafarer agencies, including the International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN), which is promoting the video to some 450 seafarer centers around the world.