SOCP Releases Updated SASH Best Practices Guide for U.S. Maritime Industry

[By: The Ship Operations Cooperative Program]

The Ship Operations Cooperative Program (SOCP) announces the release of the updated Best Practices Guide (BPG) on the Prevention of and Response to Sexual Harassment and Sexual Assault in the U.S. Merchant Marine.

The BPG also addresses retaliation, bullying, hazing, coercion, stalking, and other prohibited behaviors in the U.S. Maritime Industry; and encourages bystander intervention.

The SOCP’s Achieving a Respectful Onboard Culture (AROC) Technical Team, with industry input, developed the updated Best Practices Guide under a cooperative agreement with the Maritime Administration (MARAD) to support the Every Mariner Builds A Respectful Culture (EMBARC) Program and address issues affecting the shipboard climate in the U.S. Maritime Industry. SOCP developed this 2024 BPG in partnership with the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) to replace the previous 2017 version.

This Guide is intended for U.S. merchant mariners, shore-based employees, maritime operating companies, ship owners and operators, contractors, and others who work in the industry. This Guide is also intended for individuals who work in other segments of the U.S. maritime industry such as vessel husbanding agents, pilots, marine terminal employees, longshoremen, employees working in U.S. ports, shipbuilding, and ship repair industry employees, cadets, and contractors, subcontractors, and vendors interacting with merchant mariners. These best practices apply to all segments of the U.S. Merchant Marine including oceangoing, coastwise, Great Lakes, inland, harbor, towing, offshore industry, cruise, ferries, dredging, research vessels, and government- owned vessels. The best practices included in this guide should be a part of every company’s policy on sexual assault and sexual harassment in the workplace, whether on shore or at sea.

The BPG is available for download to the U.S. public at no charge on the SOCP SASH Prevention web page at https://www.socp.us/sash-prevention-materials SOCP encourages organizations to share this link on their websites for maximum exposure and distribution of this helpful SASH resource.