Tim Carter was the editor of the second edition of this textbook. At the time he was a professor based in the Norwegian Centre for Maritime and Diving medicine. He has now retired but has assisted with this edition both as an author and as a source of editorial advice. His career in maritime health started in 1999, when he became Chief Medical Adviser to the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency. He subsequently became active in international maritime health both through the International Maritime Health Association and as a specialist adviser to the International Labour and International Maritime Organisations. Prior to his work in maritime health he was engaged in the management and regulation of occupational health risks, initially in the petrochemical industry and then as the medical director of the UK Health and Safety Executive (labour inspectorate).