Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Guidelines
Managing and reducing the
risk of fatigue at sea
Contents
Foreword 02 B. Adequate sleep opportunity 18
B.1 Duty scheduling and planning 18
B.2 Workload management 23
Module 01 | Fatigue 03 B.3 Work and living environment 24
Fatigue 04 C. Adequate sleep obtained 26
Causes of fatigue 05 D. Ensuring adequate alertness
and performance while on duty 27
Sleep 06
Examples of fatigue assessment tools 28
Quantity 07
Fatigue self-assessment tool 30
Quality 07
D.1 Peer monitoring 31
Individual differences 07
E. Reporting of fatigue-related
Effects of fatigue 08
events 32
Legislation 12 Example of a fatigue event report form 34
International Maritime Organization (IMO) 12
International Safety Management Module 03 | Fatigue
(ISM) Code 12 and the seafarer 35
International Labour Organization (ILO) 12
Fatigue and the seafarer 36
Module 02 | Fatigue Recognising fatigue 36
and the company 13
Reducing and managing
Fatigue and the company 14 the risk of fatigue 38
Developing good sleep habits 39
Fatigue and shipboard operations 14
Maintaining fitness for duty 40
Fatigue and company influence 14
Short-term countermeasures 41
A. Company support for
Seafarer responsibilities 43
managing the risks of fatigue 16
A.1 Fatigue awareness and training 17 Management-level seafarers’
A.2 Adequate resources responsibilities 44
(including crewing levels) 17
A.3 Healthy shipboard environment 17 References 47
Module 2 48
Module 3 49
02 Fatigue guidelines for commercial vessels
Foreword
In December 2018, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Maritime
Safety Committee at its 100th session approved the revised Guidelines on
Fatigue (MSC.1/ Circ. 1598).
Australia has been a leading proponent of ensuring the adoption of
comprehensive, science-based guidelines and contemporary approaches
in the area of fatigue risk management, and has invested heavily in the
development of the IMO guidelines on fatigue.
This guide is based on the International Maritime Organization Guidelines
on Fatigue (MSC.1/Circ. 1598) and provides information in a simplified and
useable format on the causes, consequences and management of fatigue.
This guide is primarily aimed at assisting those managing and operating
regulated Australian vessels and foreign vessels. However, the principles
outlined are equally applicable to other maritime operations, including
domestic commercial vessels.
Module 01
Fatigue
Fatigue
Fatigue is a hazard that affects safety, health Fatigue is a problem for all industries and
and wellbeing. It presents a considerable transport modes which operate around
risk to seafarers’ lives and health, property, the clock, and the maritime industry is no
security and the marine environment. different. The demanding nature of shipping
means that:
» seafarers may be required to work long
Fatigue is a hazard and irregular hours
that affects safety,
health and wellbeing. » seafarers may work and live away from
home for weeks or months at a time, on
a vessel subject to unpredictable and
changing weather conditions
» while they are serving on board, the
vessel is both a seafarer’s workplace and
their home, so there may not be a clear
separation between work and recreation.
This can affect mental and emotional
wellbeing.
Causes of fatigue
Table 1: Causes of fatigue
Factors Causes
Lack of sleep » staying awake for long periods
» inadequate sleep opportunities
» poor quality sleep and rest
» fatigue accumulates when you do not get enough sleep and you
do not make up for this loss of sleep.
Work and job design »» long work day
» mentally or physically demanding tasks (prolonged mental and/or
physical exertion)
» unpredictable work schedules
» time of day in which work takes place, particularly at night—
humans are biologically programmed to be active during the day
and sleep at night
» few or no rest breaks
» boring, repetitive work.
Environment » weather (cold, hot or humid)
» vessel design (light levels, vibration, location of sleeping and
accommodation areas)
» vessel motion
» noise
» operational factors such as time pressures, constant interruptions,
high level of responsibility.
Individual attributes, » health and wellbeing (age, diet, fitness, illness)
lifestyle and home
» stress
» medication and substance use (alcohol, supplements, caffeine)
» commuting to and from home
» time with family and friends.
06 Fatigue guidelines for commercial vessels
Sleep
Each individual has a body clock and this These are times we are least alert and more
clock regulates the body’s circadian rhythm. likely to make mistakes and fall asleep.
The body clock makes a person sleepy or
Consequently, the time of day in which work
alert on a regular schedule regardless of
takes place increases the risk of fatigue.
whether they are working or not. Our body
Seafarers working through the night can be
clock programs us to be active during the day
expected to be sleepy, especially between
and to sleep at night.
0300 and 0500, and have to make additional
In normal conditions, the sleep/wake cycle effort to maintain alertness and performance.
follows a 24-hour rhythm; however, the cycle
For many seafarers, working patterns conflict
is not the same for everyone.
with their body clock. If you have to be awake
The circadian cycle has two periods of and work at night, or in the early morning, or
sleepiness, known as the circadian trough work for extended periods, it can disrupt your
and the circadian lull. body clock resulting in increased fatigue.
» The circadian trough occurs typically Seafarers crossing time zones are exposed
between 0300 and 0600 (window of to sudden change in the day and night cycle,
circadian low). which again disrupts the body clock. This
leads to difficulty sleeping during normal
» The circadian lull is a lesser circadian
sleep hours and can be made worse by
trough that typically occurs between
shift work.
1500 and 1700 (the post-lunch dip).
post-lunch dip
window of
circadian low
alertness
low
sleep awake
Sleep must have two characteristics to be this does not take into account the number of
effective in satisfying the needs of the times they wake up during the night, or the time
human body: spent tossing and turning, both of which can
affect sleep quantity and quality.
» quantity (generally seven to nine hours
per 24-hour period) and Stressors such as vibration, noise, intense
mental and/or physical workload, excessive
» quality (sleep needs to be uninterrupted
working hours, separation from family and
to be restorative).
isolation, can affect whether a seafarer obtains
Quantity sufficient quality sleep. If they don’t, this can
lead to fatigue.
Generally, people need between seven
to nine hours sleep per night to perform In recent years, family and work demands,
adequately and effectively. Any less than this as well as increased use of electronic devices
may increase the risk of fatigue and impair such as smartphones, and time spent on
alertness and performance. social media have affected sleeping habits.
Increasingly, our work commitments and
For example, if an individual needs eight
lifestyle pressures can create a disconnect
hours of sleep and only obtains five hours,
between our individual circadian rhythms and
they have accumulated a sleep debt. Each
our environment, leading to more time awake.
successive night of inadequate sleep will add
to this sleep debt. Long-term sleep debt has a
significant impact on personal health. Many are unaware that they are
The longer a seafarer remains awake, the
suffering from sleep deprivation.
stronger the drive for sleep, and the higher Sleep disorders, such as sleep apnoea, affect
the levels of fatigue. Long work hours are the quality of sleep. Even when individuals
associated with poor performance and poorer spend enough time trying to sleep, sleep
safety and health outcomes. disorders can make restorative sleep
How far you have to commute to work is impossible. Many of those who suffer from
also important to consider. Seafarers may sleep disorders are not aware of the issue, and/
have to travel or drive long distances to the or have not been diagnosed or treated for their
vessel and then have to work, affecting their disorder.
quantity of sleep. For seafarers, this poses a higher risk, as they
are exposed to restricted sleep onboard.
People need between 7-9 hours
sleep per night, any less than Individual differences
this is a compromise. Individuals respond to fatigue differently. Under
the same circumstances, different people
may become fatigued at different times and
Quality
to different degrees of severity. Our ability to
What type of sleep you have is also
cope also depends on our lifestyle choices, our
important. To be effective, sleep needs to be
individual health and characteristics related to
uninterrupted. Many think that if they spend
circadian rhythms. Some people are ‘morning’
eight hours in bed, they are meeting their
types and others ‘evening’ types depending on
daily sleep and rest requirements. However,
the time of day when they perform at their best.
08 Fatigue guidelines for commercial vessels
Physical
Performance impairment Signs and symptoms
Involuntary need to sleep »» slow eyelid closures
»» droopy eyelids
»» itchy eyes
»» nodding off
»» inability to stay awake
Loss of control »» affected speech
(bodily movements)
»» feeling of heaviness in arms and legs
»» clumsiness, tremors
»» difficulty with hand-eye coordination
Health issues »» headaches
»» giddiness
»» digestion problems
»» pain or cramps
»» insomnia
»» sudden sweating fits
»» heart palpitations/irregular heartbeat
»» loss of appetite
10 Fatigue guidelines for commercial vessels
Cognitive
Behavioural
Performance impairment Signs and symptoms
Mood change »» quieter, less talkative than usual
»» unusually irritable
»» decreased tolerance and anti-social behaviour
»» depression
Attitude change »» fails to anticipate danger
»» fails to observe and obey warning signs
»» seems unaware of own poor performance
»» more willing to take risks
»» displays a ‘don’t-care’ attitude
»» less desire to socialise
»» increasing omissions
»» low motivation
12 Fatigue guidelines for commercial vessels
Legislation
The following instruments contain related
requirements on fatigue:
»» Principles of minimum safe manning
(resolution A.1047[27])
»» Fatigue factors in manning and safety
(resolution A.772[18])
»» Guidelines on Fatigue (MSC.1/Circ. 1598)
International Safety
Management (ISM) Code
»» Section 1.4 - Safety management system
requirements
International Maritime
Organization (IMO)
International Convention on Standards of
Training Certification and Watchkeeping for
Seafarers (STCW):
»» Regulation VIII/1 (Fitness for duty) International Labour
Organization (ILO)
»» Regulation VIII/2 (Watchkeeping
arrangements and principles observed) Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), 2006
»» Regulation 2.3 Hours of work and rest
»» Regulation 2.4 Entitlement to leave
»» Regulation 2.7 Manning levels
»» Regulation 3.1 Accommodation and
recreational facilities
»» Regulation 3.2 Food and catering
Module 02
Fatigue and the company
B. Are seafarers provided with adequate »» hours of work and rest requirements
Risk-based approach
sleep opportunity? (Quantity and
»» duty scheduling and planning
quality)
»» workload management
»» work and living environment
A. Company support
for managing the risks
of fatigue
The company should consider the following:
Tools to assess fatigue in scheduling they are not sufficient to determine the full
Planning duty schedules based on fatigue extent of fatigue-related risk. Their main
science and operational requirements allows purpose should be limited to identifying
for predictive identification of fatigue hazards. potentially fatigue-inducing duty schedules
In turn, this assists in allocating adequate rest or scheduling hot spots, allowing for better
periods that provide sufficient opportunity decision making in selecting duty schedules.
for sleep.
Some useful tools for mitigating and Seafarer fatigue is the result
controlling fatigue are: of the actual work, not the
planned work.
»» Fatigue risk assessment tools, used to
assess the risk level of a specific duty There are numerous unforeseen
schedule via a fatigue risk score. circumstances that can cause changes to
»» Fatigue predictive software tools. These planned schedules; for example, weather
use related software to predict fatigue conditions, unexpected technical problems, or
levels for specific operations, and can seafarer illness. Another proactive approach
be useful additional tools for managing for identifying fatigue hazards is to analyse
fatigue risks. actual operational duty schedules.
Use these tools in conjunction with other Table 4 below is a handy fatigue risk
operational data. Do not use them in assessment tool that can be used to
isolation, or allow them to be the main assess the risks associated with a
driver in duty-scheduling decisions, as particular duty schedule.
Allow seafarers who work regular Provide for short breaks during
nights, periods of normal night’s duty periods (coffee, meals etc.).
sleep to catch up on their sleep If possible, allow individuals to
deficit. manage their own short breaks.
B.3 Work and living environment Environmental control measures may include,
but are not limited to:
The work and living environment is important
for ensuring seafarers have an adequate
opportunity for quality sleep.
Adequate facilities for rest, sleep
Countermeasures the company can take and meal breaks and other essential
to ensure seafarers have an adequate requirements, such as bathroom
opportunity for quality sleep range facilities and personal storage.
from environmental, to procedural and
operational changes; for example: addressing
environmental aspects such as noise, during Making sleeping areas darker,
vessel design. However, there are control quieter and more comfortable by:
measures the company can implement to »» supplying good quality and
assist in reducing noise levels in the comfortable bedding such as
sleeping environment. mattresses and pillows.
»» providing a darkened sleeping
atmosphere, by using blackout
blinds for portholes or berths in
sleeping spaces.
»» installing insulation baffles over
cabin-door louvres.
»» improving air conditioning
(ambient temperature) and
air flow.
1
fatigue and sleepiness ratings Extremely
Subjective sleepiness and fatigue ratings are alert
particularly useful for gathering data quickly
to decide whether additional fatigue risk
management strategies are needed.
The Karolinska Sleepiness Scale (KSS) is 2 Very
alert
the most widely used fatigue monitoring
scale in maritime studies. It has been
scientifically validated and is designed
to be completed at multiple points within
and across days. Using these standard
3 Alert
4
within the same company. This can be
Rather
helpful in deciding where controls and risk
alert
mitigation are most needed.
Neither
5 alert nor
sleepy
Some
6 signs of
sleepiness
Sleepy, but
7 no effort to
keep awake
9
Very sleepy, great
effort to keep awake,
fighting sleep
Australian Maritime Safety Authority | March 2020 29
Sleep quantity
Sleep quality
Signs of fatigue
Have you experienced any physical signs of fatigue immediately before or during this duty
period (i.e. microsleeps)?
Yes No
Have you experienced any mental signs of fatigue immediately before,or during, this duty
period (i.e. difficulty concentrating)?
Yes No
Australian Maritime Safety Authority | March 2020 31
Name
What happened?
(describe the event)
Other comments
PHYSICAL BEHAVIOURAL
»» inability to stay awake (head nodding, or »» decreased tolerance, and/or anti-social
falling asleep involuntarily) behaviour
»» difficulty with hand-eye coordination »» irregular mood changes (irritability,
depression)
»» speech difficulties (slurred, slow or
garbled) »» ignoring normal checks and procedures
»» increased frequency of dropping objects, »» increasing mistakes and carelessness
like tools or parts
»» digestion problems
Long term, sleep loss may lead to
cardiovascular diseases, gastrointestinal
diseases, mental health problems and stress.
The more signs and symptoms seafarers
observe in others or themselves, the more
likely it is they will notice a significant
COGNITIVE reduction in alertness. Fatigue is not the only
cause of such symptoms, but when several
»» focusing on a trivial problem, neglecting
occur together, it is likely to indicate fatigue-
more important ones
related impairment.
»» slow, or no response, to normal, abnormal
If seafarers recognise that they, or a fellow
or emergency situations
crew member is fatigued, it is important they
»» lapses of attention notify their crewmates and supervisors.
»» poor judgement of distance, speed,
time etc. Open communication about
»» forgetting to complete a task, or part
fatigue detection and
of a task prevention is critical—seafarers
need to feel comfortable about
»» difficulty in concentrating and thinking
having such conversations.
clearly
38 Fatigue guidelines for commercial vessels
Management-level
seafarers’ responsibilities
Below are some important fatigue management
strategies for management-level seafarers:
Module 2
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programme. Centre for Occupational and the Changing Nature of Work Organization.
Health Psychology, Cardiff University; American Journal of Industrial Medicine,
Maritime New Zealand (2018). Fatigue in 49: p. 921-929.
commercial fishing: 2018 survey results.
National Sleep foundation https://www.
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sleepfoundation.org/articles/improving-
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Kecklund, G., (2014). Subjective sleepiness is
Philips, R. (1998). Fatigue Among Ship’s
a sensitive indicator of insufficient sleep and
Watchkeepers: A Qualitative Study of Incident
impaired waking function. Journal of Sleep
at Sea Reports in Managing Fatigue in
Research, 2014(23): p. 242-254.
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Dawson, D., Noy, Y. I., Härmä, M., Åkerstedt, Conferences, Fremantle, Western Australia:
T. and Belenky, G., Modelling fatigue and Elsevier.
the use of fatigue models in work settings,
Rosa, R. R., (2012). Long work hours, fatigue,
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Australian Maritime Safety Authority | March 2020 49
Module 3
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