Coastal pilot fatigue management

We have a number of controls to help deal with the potential for fatigue-related issues associated with coastal pilotage operations.

Fatigue risk management plan

One key control measure requires coastal pilots to operate under an approved fatigue risk management plan (FRMP).

Amongst other measures, the FRMP details the minimum mandatory rest breaks between pilotage tasks and minimum leave requirements.

Pilotage providers may develop and use an alternate fatigue risk management plan, subject to our approval.

We also require pilotage providers (and by extension, the coastal pilots they engage) to operate under an approved safety management system (SMS).

Pilotage provider's SMS are subject to compliance audits by us in accordance with Marine Order 54 (Coastal pilotage).

Read more about coastal pilot fatigue management in these studies:

• Great Barrier Reef Coastal Pilots Fatigue Study 2005
• The work practices of marine pilots: a review
• An analysis of the work schedules of Great Barrier Reef Pilots
• The impact of Great Barrier Reef Pilotage work on wives and families
• A survey of the work and sleep patterns of Great Barrier Reef Pilots
• On tour analyses of the work and rest patterns of Great Barrier Reef Pilots: implications for fatigue management