IBF Warlike Operations Areas & High Risk Areas

In 2008, a set of guidelines was introduced by the IBF for maritime employers and seafarers which intended to define the rights and responsibilities for both parties sailing in the Gulf of Aden where piracy was rife.

Over the years, the list of areas has increased and these guidelines are now used to aid employer/employee interactions with defining terms and conditions applicable to areas that the IBF considers to pose a risk.

The IBF does not claim to be an authority in defining the risk that specific areas around the world pose but uses experts’ recommendations to assign an appropriate level of compensation applicable to each area. The List of IBF Risk Areas is a negotiated outcome between employers and employees representatives. The authority to amend the agreed list is delegated to the IBF Warlike Operations Committee (WOAC) which meets once a year or upon request of one of the constituent parties (JNG and ITF).

There are currently 3 levels of designation which depend on the nature and gravity of the risk:

Warlike Operations Areas (WOA)

This is the highest risk level and entails

Bonus equal to basic wage, payable for 5 days minimum + per day if longer
Doubled compensations for death and disability
Right to refuse sailing, with repatriation at company’s cost and compensation equal to 2 month’s basic wage.

High Risk Areas

This is the next level down and the key difference from WOA is that the bonus is only payable for the actual duration of the stay/transit in the area.

Extended Risk Zone

This is the lowest and most used definition and benefits are more targeted, crucially there is no right to refuse sailing in this area

Bonus equal to basic wage, payable only on the day the vessel is attacked
Doubled compensations for death and disability if it occurs on the day the vessel is attacked