The very definition of the maritime setting is work and life that takes place in or around a watery world e. Work and life activities must first accommodate the macro-environmental conditions of the oceans, lakes or waterways in which they take place.
Vessels serve as both workplace and home, so most habitat and work exposures are coexistent and inseparable. The maritime industry comprises a number of sub-industries, including freight transportation, passenger and ferry service, commercial fishing, tankships and barge shipping. Individual maritime sub-industries consist of a set of merchant or commercial activities that are characterized by the type of vessel, targeted goods and services, typical practices and area of operations, and community of owners, operators and workers.
In turn, these activities and the context in which they take place define the occupational and environmental hazards and exposures experienced by maritime workers. Organized merchant maritime activities date back to the earliest days of civilized history. The ancient Greek, Egyptian and Japanese societies are examples of great civilizations where the development of power and influence was closely associated with having an extensive maritime presence.
The importance of maritime industries to development of national power and prosperity has continued into the modern era. The dominant maritime industry is water transportation, which remains the primary mode of international trade. The economies of most countries with ocean borders are heavily influenced by the receipt and export of goods and services by water. However, national and regional economies heavily dependent on the transport of goods by water are not limited to those which border oceans.
Many countries removed from the sea have extensive networks of inland waterways. Modern merchant vessels may process materials or produce goods as well as transport them. Globalized economies, restrictive land use, favourable tax laws and technology are among the factors which have spurred the growth of vessels that serve as both factory and means of transportation.
