An Introduction
In this issue of Alert! we offer some thoughts on safe manning, and on mitigating the effects of fatigue and other risk factors on crew endurance. We expand upon what has been articulated in issue 13 of Alert! - Time to wake up to the consequences of Fatigue - and its associated Vodcast.
The Case Study on Page 1 tells the all too familiar (albeit fictional) story of the Officer of the Watch whose otherwise uneventful career is blighted by an accident that may have been avoided had the ship been properly manned. This was a ship with a crew of 6; there was no lookout; the OOW was fatigued because of the atrocious weather that they had encountered on passage; he was working a 6-on-6-off routine with the Master; he was behind on his paperwork; and he was conscious that the Master had no sympathy with complaints about tiredness or overwork.
The Nautical Institute has, for some time, been lobbying to dispense with the master/mate 6-on- 6-off watchkeeping regime. Paragraph 2.7 of Annex 3 to the IMO’s Principles of Minimum Safe Manning (IMO Resolution A.1047(27) adopted on 30 November 2011) states that: ‘The Administration should consider the circumstances very carefully before allowing a minimum safe manning document to contain provisions for less than three qualified officers in charge of a navigational watch, while taking into account all the principles for establishing safe manning.’
David Squire, FNI FCMI But, ‘safe’ manning is not just about numbers; it is also about ensuring that all seafarers are properly rested, and that they can understand and mitigate the effects of fatigue and other risk factors on crew endurance.
In issue 13 of Alert! (Page 1) we argue that Fatigue management should be high on the agenda for all ship designers, managers and seafarers. We particularly commend Maritime New Zealand’s Fatigue Advisor Resource - which provides advice on the development of Fatigue Management Plans and their Wheelhouse Fatigue Checklist.
The hours of work and hours of rest requirements of the 2010 Manila amendments to the STCW Convention and of the ILO Maritime Labour Convention 2006 (MLC 2006) are, to some extent, in variation of one another. The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) provides some useful guidance on the application of these requirements which are consistent with the ISF Watchkeeper Software Version 3.3, designed to demonstrate compliance with crew work and rest hour regulations (https://www.isfwatchkeeper.com/).
Situation Awareness and its practical application in the maritime domain - Captain Majid Safahani, Manager. Marine Simulation, BC Ferries Inc, Captain L. Scott Tuttle, Manager, Marine Simulation, BC Ferries Inc
Changing Attractions of Seafaring Life - Captain Shahrokh Khodayari
Seafarer Accommodation on Contemporary Cargo Ships - Ellis, N., Sampson, H., Acejo, I., Tang, L., Turgo, N., Zhao., Z. SIRC, The Lloyd’s Register Educational Trust Research Unit
Downloadable from: https://www.sirc.cf.ac.uk/
Familiarization on Board - Captain Shahrokh Khodayari