MARINER REST & READINESS _____________________________________________________________

An Ongoing U.S. Coast Guard - AWO Commitment to Safe Operations in a 24/7 Operating Environment
Since 1997, AWO has worked in cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard to promote crew alertness and prevent fatigue in the 24/7 world of towing vessel operations. A centerpiece of this effort is the Crew Endurance Management System (CEMS), a holistic approach to assessing crew endurance risk factors, implementing risk reduction measures, and ensuring a continual cycle of re-assessment. The Coast Guard and AWO work together through the Coast Guard - AWO Safety Partnership to promote implementation of CEMS principles throughout the barge and towing industry, educating companies and crews on endurance risk factors and providing practical resources on related issues such as management of crew travel time and rest. In 2005-2006, seven AWO member companies participated in a Coast Guard-sponsored CEMS demonstration project. In 2006, the congressionally authorized Towing Safety Advisory Committee recommended that CEMS be required under forthcoming Coast Guard regulations to establish an inspection program for towing vessels. AWO member companies have increasingly incorporated CEMS principles into their operations by making changes to the working environment onboard vessels, employing light and noise management, and encouraging crewmembers to adopt a healthier diet and exercise. More than 1,200 onboard coaches have been trained to provide consistent support for CEMS implementation.

Northwestern University Sleep Research

AWO is also drawing on the latest scientific research to optimize crew endurance within existing industry watch schedules. Recent NASA-funded research has shown that obtaining sleep in two periods a longer anchor sleep and a substantial nap sleep period is just as effective in promoting quality sleep and safe operation as an equivalent period of uninterrupted sleep. AWO has engaged Northwestern Universitys Center for Sleep and Circadian Biology in a multi-year study aimed at developing strategies to build on CEMS and ensure that towing vessel crewmembers get 7-8 hours of healthy sleep each day. For more information on this issue, or to take action in support of crew alertness, contact Ms. Jennifer Carpenter or Mr. Bob Clinton at (703) 841-9300, extensions 260 or 253, respectively, or via email at jcarpenter@vesselalliance.com or bclinton@vesselalliance.com.

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