Fatigue can have serious consequences for the safety and health of seafarers, operational safety and the marine environment. The demanding nature of shipping means that seafarers may be required to work long and irregular hours. They 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 on board, the vessel is both a seafarer’s workplace and their home, so there may not be a clear separation between work, recreation and rest. This can affect mental and emotional wellbeing.
If companies address fatigue proactively, it will improve personnel safety. Effective management of fatigue also has the potential to cut costs for the company by reducing injury and downtime because of accidents, as well as physical damage to high-value assets and the environment.
