AMSA launched the ‘Fatigue Survey – Domestic Commercial Vessels’ focusing on the importance of seafarers’ wellbeing when onboard. The survey aims to get an insight into how seafarers cope with fatigue in order to develop specific guidance, while also encourage safe management practices.
Specifically, the survey aims to attract:
- masters and crew in working in the domestic commercial vessel industry;
- seafarer welfare organisations;
- training providers;
- unions;
- peak bodies and industry groups;
- domestic commercial vessel owners and operators.
In general fatigue is a hazard that affects safety, health and well-being.
It can cause major problems in seafarers’ psychology that can easily lead to fatal errors. A useful way of keeping track of seafarers’ fatigue is the ‘Fatigue Self-assessment Tool’. In the meantime, seafarers can prevent fatigue by having a healthy routine in their everyday lives, starting from a good quality sleep, which is critical for people working onboard. Sleep helps seafarers be rested and be able to keep up with their workload, while also having a clear thinking.
Also, fatigue has been divided in two parts:
- Physical fatigue when a person finds it physically hard to do the things they normally do or used to do; it includes muscle weakness and diagnosis may involve a strength test.
- Mental fatigue when a person finds it harder to concentrate on things and stay on task. The person may feel sleepy, or have difficulty staying awake while working.
Moreover, human error that can result to the unsafe operation of a vessel may be the impact fatigue has to seafarers. When a seafarer is tired, doesn’t get much sleep or doesn’t have a healthy eating routine, it is easier to make errors during its work.
Concluding, Andrew Russ, Marine Surveyor at Standard P&I Club, has stated that when investigating into human element accidents, UK MAIB 2004 investigation, identified fatigue to be the major contributing factor in 82% of the 66 recorded groundings and collisions occurring between 0000 and 0600 hours.
AMSA’s survey consists of 20 questions, and protects the respondents’ personal information, as it is a anonymous survey. The survey will be open for three months, starting July 18, 2019.
To complete the survey, click here.
