Introduction:
Seafarers face an increased risk of injuries, diseases, and fatalities than workers on land due to their working conditions. To mitigate these risks, it is important to identify the potential areas of incident and assess the probability of occupational medical events. This study aimed to determine the incidence of common occupational diseases among seafarers between 2022 and 2023.

Methods:
A descriptive epidemiological study was conducted to analyze medical data using the Centro Internazionale Radio Medico (C.I.R.M.) database. This study focused on contacts (n=312) from container ships due to occupational diseases to the C.I.R.M., supplemented by data on the estimated total at-risk seafarer population on container ships (n=9075) over the study period. Incidence rates (IRs) for each worksite and rank were calculated by adjusting the total number of seafarers at risk proportionally to the number of seafarers in the database for whom rank, and worksite information were available. An IR ratio (IRR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were determined to compare the disease rates among seafarers based on their rank and worksite.

Results:
During the study period, 312 patients were assisted by the C.I.R.M. on container ships. Of these, respiratory infections (32%) were the most common reason for consultation, followed by musculoskeletal disorders (28.8%) and dermatological disorders (27.6%). However, 16.7% (52) of total patients were unknown in terms of rank and worksite. The mean age (standard deviation) of seafarers at the time of consultation was 39.8 (9.7) years. The estimated two-year incidence of total occupational diseases among seafarers was 3.4 per 100 person-years. Non-officers had a significantly higher incidence of total diseases than officers (IRR: 1.30; 95% CI: 1.01 to 1.73). Non-officers had a higher incidence of musculoskeletal disorders (IRR: 1.70; 95% CI: 1.10 to 2.96) and dermatological disorders (IRR: 1.85; 95% CI: 1.09 to 3.40) than officers. Furthermore, deck workers had a higher incidence of dermatological diseases (IRR: 2.26; 95% CI: 1.32 to 3.96) and musculoskeletal disorders (IRR: 1.73; 95% CI: 1.08 to 2.88) than engine room workers.

Conclusions:
Non-officers and deck workers have a higher incidence of occupational diseases than officers and engine room workers. This highlights the importance of implementing rank and work-specific prevention measures to address these health disparities.