Study on fatigue at sea yields interesting nuggets

Exhausted crew members are at risk of long-term health issues; sailors' mood and cohesion on board suffers on long trips. Fatigue-risk management systems are needed

Published Tue, Feb 7, 2017 · 09:50 PM

Strait Talk

WHILE it may seem obvious that fatigued crew members on board ships pose a danger and that their health is at risk, new research has shed more light on the issue.

The final report of a three-year US$1 million project on fatigue at sea was presented to delegates at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) last week, at the beginning of a sub-committee meeting to discuss, among other subjects, the revision of the IMO fatigue guidelines.

Discussion centred on the MARTHA project funded by The TK Foundation. The study has gathered a large database of new information from nearly 1,000 seafarers, and carried out a field study of more than 100 seafarers working at sea worldwide.