Tag: fatigue

National Sleep Awareness Week from March 3 to 10 The National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Deborah A. P. Hersman recognizes National Sleep Awareness Week (March 3-10) and the seriousness of fatigue as a safety issue across all modes of transportation."In our investigations, we've seen truck drivers driving through the night during circadian lows, mariners navigating treacherous channels during pre-dawn hours and air traffic controllers working rotating shifts with short turnarounds," said NTSB Chairman Hersman.NTSB has studied operator fatigue and issued recommendations calling for improved scheduling regulations and practices, education for operators and employers concerning fatigue and sleep disorders, and research to better understand the risks associated with fatigue in transportation."There are too many transportation accidents where the lack of sleep and fatigue have either caused the accident or been a contributory factor," Hersman added. "Sleep Awareness Week reminds us all of the vital importance of restorative rest."Source: NTSB See below relevant articles for fatigue in shipping Oil Companies Issue Recommendations on Seafarers 'Work Hour Rules The Project Horizon study Measuring Fatigue at Sea

Oil Companies Issue Recommendations on Seafarers Work Hour Rules

Fatigue caused channel collision

ATSB report systemic found safety issues re pilot training & fatigue management (Photo: Queenland coast/ Great Barrier Reef - satellite photo)Systemic safety issues in Queensland coastal pilotage operations have been identified in an Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) investigation report.Coastal pilots form a key defence against a serious shipping incident in parts of the Great Barrier Reef and Torres Strait as part of a suite of broader protective measures already in place.(Photo credit: ATSB)The ATSB began an investigation into coastal pilotage operations in December 2010 following the release of its report into the grounding of the piloted tanker Atlantic Blue in the Torres Strait and a request from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA)-the coastal pilotage safety regulator. That report identified safety issues affecting coastal pilotage which indicated that other systemic issues may also exist that would benefit from the ATSB further investigating.The ATSB's safety issue investigation found that under the coastal pilotage regulations, no organisation, including the pilotage provider companies, has been made clearly responsible and held accountable for managing the safety risks associated with pilotage operations. This has meant that responsibility for managing the most safety critical aspects of pilotage has rested with individual pilot contractors instead of ...

Union wants action on fatigue findings

A study in response to the increased evidence of the role of fatigue and sleepiness Project Horizon is a major multi-partner European research study that brought together 11 academic institutions and shipping industry organisations with the agreed aim of delivering emprical data to provide a bettter understanding of the way in which watchkeeping patterns can affect the sleepiness levels of ships' watchkeepers.Read theProject Horizon Research Report 2012 outlined in the excerpts belowFind out more about Project HorizonView the video that includes the initial findingsReason for researchProject Horizon was established in response to growing concern about the increased evidence of the role of fatigue and sleepiness in maritime accidents. It is also closely aligned to the FP7 (Sustainable Surface Transport 2008 RTD-1 call) aims of increased safety and security, and reduced fatalities.The increasingly intensive nature of shipping operations means that seafarers frequently work long and irregular hours. Factors such as noise, vibration, sailing patterns, port calls, cargo handling and other activities can all reduce the ability of seafarers to gain quality sleep during their rest periods.The project was established to:define and undertake scientific methods for measurement of fatigue in various realistic seagoing scenarios using bridge, engineroom and cargo simulatorsdetermine the effects ...

Insufficient Shipboard Manning Fuels Fatigue, Boosts Risks Cuts in manning levels and burgeoning paperwork loads are increasing the risk of maritime accidents worldwide. At a time when carriers have reduced crewing levels, ships' officers are being forced to manage the paperwork load generated by a growing number of government regulations. Representatives of officers aboard U.S.-flag ships are calling on Congress to urgently review the situation and respond to the growing risks it entails for people, the environment, and professional mariners-who are increasingly being held criminally liable for accidents."The criminalization of simple professional errors-often the result of fatigue or excessive workload-is without justification when there is no oversight regarding the sufficiency of personnel available to carry out shipboard responsibilities," says Don Marcus, International Secretary-Treasurer of the Masters, Mates & Pilots (MM&P), which represents professional mariners aboard U.S.-flag ships. "While crews are being reduced, the number of international, federal and state regulations that must be complied with and documented has grown exponentially," he says.Marcus made the remarks in testimony April 26 before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. He spoke on behalf of members of MM&P, the Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association and the American Maritime Officers. Together, ...

'Safety Coaching' and 'Workplace Fatigue' 'Safety Coaching' and 'Workplace Fatigue' are the two latest pocket safety cards in the series published by the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA)."These are card numbers 20 and 21 in the popular and effective series," explains Hugh Williams, IMCA's Chief Executive. "The safety coaching card includes a list of key aspects of the role of a coach, encouraging people to stop and think and provide objective and honest feedback. As we say on the card 'you don't need to have 'Coach' in your job title to undertake coaching - particularly when it comes to safety. Coaching, like any other skill, is something that everyone can learn. Some may be better at it than others.' We go on to list nine key aspects of the role, and then on the other side provide some DOs and DON'Ts to help those set on a coaching path."Recognising and preventing fatigue is important in the quest for safe operations. Our 21st safety card not only helps users identify the symptoms of workplace fatigue in themselves, and others, but on the other side of the card it lists, in two columns, personal responsibilities and supervisor's or manager's responsibilities in preventing ...

Operating a vehicle while fatigued can be deadly For decades, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has investigated accidents and incidents, across all modes of transportation where fatigue was a causal or contributory factor. National Sleep Awareness Week (March 5-9) and the start of daylight savings time on Sunday, reminds transportation operators and the public to focus on fatigue."While alcohol is often associated with impairment, operating a vehicle while fatigued can be just as deadly," said NTSB Chairman Deborah A.P. Hersman. "As we move the clocks forward an hour this weekend, transportation operators need to plan for adequate sleep on Sunday night and every other night to safeguard the travelling public."On Saturday, the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) released its 2012 Sleep in America poll. For the first time, the NSF asked transportation professionals about their sleep habits. Many admit to struggling with sleep. According to NSF, nearly one-fourth of pilots and train operators admit that their performance is affected at least once a week by sleepiness. Moreover, one in five pilots acknowledge a serious error, and one in six train operators and truck drivers say that sleepiness has led to a "near miss"."The results of the NSF poll should serve ...

There has been only anecdotal evidence to determine understanding of fatigue For some years there has been growing concern about the reality of the effects of fatigue on marine safety. Accident investigators have identified fatigue as a factor in a considerable number of casualties, notably aboard small short sea traders in particularly intensive operations, where there have been two watchkeepers working watch and watch.Is fatigue caused by a lack of sleep? Is performance affected by sleepiness or a period of disturbed sleep throughout a tour of duty where 6 hour watches are the norm? There might seem to be a reasonable link between these factors, but hitherto there has been only anecdotal evidence (apart from those casualties) to determine understanding of fatigue.Project Horizon, an 11 partner European research study which has seen academic institutions and industry organisations study the effects of fatigue, released its first findings last week. Employing bridge, engine room and cargo simulators, realistic seagoing scenarios were provided for 90 experienced deck and engineer officers who undertook seven day "voyages" on the equipment at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg and Warsash Maritime Academy at Southampton Solent University.Some officers undertook their "voyages in a 4 on, 8 off ...