Maritime Safety Awareness Bulletin issue 5—fatigue

Fatigue is a safety hazard that impairs individual performance, wellbeing and can lead to accidents.

The nature of vessel operations means seafarers are exposed to conditions which lead to fatigue. Insufficient sleep, night work, irregular and long working hours, monotonous tasks, high work demands are all frequently present in seafaring jobs.

These are the primary factors that lead to fatigue. The need to manage the risk of fatigue—both at the individual and management level—is critical.