- New Study Reveals Sleep Deprivation Challenges for Seafarers.
- Cargo Ship Grounding Highlights Risks of Crew Fatigue.
- Work-Related Anxiety Intensifies Sleep Issues for Senior Officers.
Work-related fatigue among cargo seafarers is on the rise, even with ongoing efforts to keep an eye on work and rest regulations aboard ships, according to a recent study from Cardiff University’s Seafarers International Research Centre. This research is based on anonymous surveys and interviews with 1,240 cargo ship workers and 1,202 cruise sector employees. The findings include recommendations aimed at enhancing the health and well-being of seafarers, reports Medical Xpress.
Incident Highlights Risks of Fatigue at Sea
These reports come just days after a cargo ship ran aground in Norway, narrowly avoiding a house. The watch officer confessed to the police that he had dozed off on the bridge before the incident. Authorities are now looking into whether the ship adhered to rest hour regulations.
Sleep Deprivation and Its Causes Among Cargo Workers
The study shows that more than one-third of cargo workers surveyed reported not getting enough sleep in the last 48 hours. Seafarers pointed out several factors that contribute to their poor sleep, including:
- Long working hours
- Irregular work patterns
- Port duties
- Vessel movement
- Noise
These issues have become more pronounced compared to similar surveys conducted in 2016 and 2011.
Anxiety and Homesickness Impact Sleep Quality
Beyond physical factors, mental health challenges like work-related anxiety, general anxiety, and homesickness have also risen. The lack of sleep due to work-related anxiety was especially noticeable among senior officers.
Inadequate Medical Attention Onboard Cargo Ships
The reports also revealed that nearly 20% of cargo seafarers who faced serious injury or illness did not receive the medical care they needed. Usually, there’s no qualified medic on board, and telemedical assistance is often inconsistent until the ship reaches port.
Professor Helen Sampson on Fatigue and Medical Care
Professor Helen Sampson, director of Cardiff University’s Seafarers’ International Research Center, stated: “Despite better monitoring of staff work/rest hours, fatigue remains an intractable problem for seafarers. It emerged most recently, when the second officer on the NCL Salten fell asleep on watch and the ship grounded beside a domestic home in Trondheim, Norway. The NCL Salten had called at three ports in the previous 24 hours increasing the likelihood of fatigue among crew members.”
She continued: “Evidence shows there are many instances of work/rest hours records being falsified to conceal overwork—but even when the Maritime Labor Convention is followed, seafarers can still be left without enough rest. An overhaul of work/rest hours regulations is long overdue. The regulations need to be changed to provide for an uninterrupted rest-period for all seafarers which is aligned with the recommended levels of sleep for adults.”
Regarding medical care, she added: “It is also clear that access to medical care on board cargo ships is woefully inadequate, with no medically qualified person on board in the event of an emergency. Having a trained medic on board would ensure workers are not left suffering for long periods if they are injured or ill when far from land.”
Cruise Ship Workers Also Face Sleep Challenges
The study also took a closer look at the working conditions of cruise ship employees. Out of the 950 cruise workers surveyed while at sea, just under half reported not getting enough sleep in the last 48 hours. The main reasons for this were quite similar to what cargo workers experience regarding their work hours and schedules. Interestingly, nearly 10% of cruise workers said they directly connected their medical issues to their jobs, although most had access to qualified doctors on board.
Crew Accommodation and Welfare on Cruise Ships
Unlike cargo workers, most crew members on cruise ships often find themselves without private sleeping quarters because the focus is on maximising revenue-generating spaces instead of providing proper accommodations for the staff. On top of that, nearly all seafarers have mentioned the struggle of not having access to bathing facilities like bathtubs. Many of them have voiced a desire for better access to these kinds of amenities, including saunas.
Improving Seafarers’ Health and Well-being
Professor Sampson emphasized the need for holistic improvements: “There are many areas where improvements can be made to protect the health and well-being of seafarers in the cruise and cargo sectors. The provision of facilities which seafarers can use for therapeutic purposes such as baths and saunas, increased access to shore leave and the provision of good quality food would all be important inclusions in a holistic effort to protect and promote seafarers’ health and well-being.”
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Source: Medical Xpress
