Published on Australian Maritime Safety Authority (https://www.amsa.gov.au)
Seafarers are much more likely to die from injury at work. Research on vessels in Australian waters found that looking after your crew results in less accidents and better productivity. This information is available below as a printable brochure.
Fatigue is a serious problem for many seafarers. Sleep researchers say we need seven to nine hours of continuous, good quality sleep every day to function properly.
Implement simple methods to manage the risk of fatigue, to promote rest and ensure crew get enough sleep.
Change work schedules to give crew time to get enough good-quality sleep.
Talk to your crew about what they can do to manage fatigue.
Improve sleeping quarters with:
Rules and procedures need to be clear, practical and up-to-date.
Involve your crew in the development of rules and procedures.
Ask your crew to make sure the rules and procedures are relevant to the tasks they perform. This way they are more likely to follow them. Asking crew to be a part of this process shows them you value their experience and opinions.
Seafarers have to switch between boring tasks and extremely difficult tasks, which can be very tiring. Seafarers who feel valued and supported show more resilience to these work pressures and perform better.
As the leader, set high safety standards. Show your crew that their safety is more important than operational cost. Encourage positive social interaction between crew and supervisors. Employ the same crew on the same vessel so they can develop support networks and enjoy job security. This increases wellbeing and reduces the rate of mental health issues.