Access to safe, clean and adequate sanitation facilities is a fundamental human right and a core component of decent working and living conditions under the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC). However, seafarers often face significant risks where sanitation standards are inadequate, poorly maintained or not accessible in practice. Given that vesselships are both workplaces and living environments, deficiencies in sanitation directly impact health, dignity and safety
Seafarers may experience limited access to hygienic toilets, washing facilities and clean drinking water, particularly on poorly regulated vesselships or those operating under Flags of Convenience. Inadequate sanitation can lead to serious health risks, including gastrointestinal illness, infections and long-term conditions linked to poor hygiene. Where facilities are insufficient or unsafe, workers may delay use, increasing physical discomfort and health complications.
Sanitation risks are also closely linked to inequality and discrimination. Women seafarers, in particular, may face heightened risks where facilities are not gender-appropriate, lack privacy or are shared in unsafe conditions, increasing exposure to harassment and undermining their ability to work safely and with dignity.
Poor sanitation is often indicative of broader failures in living conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate maintenance and weak enforcement of labour standards. In isolated maritime environments, seafarers may have limited ability to report deficiencies or seek remedy, particularly where grievance mechanisms are ineffective
As such, inadequate sanitation facilities represent not only a health risk but a structural human rights issue, reflecting gaps in oversight, accountability and respect for seafarers’ basic rights.