Exhaustion, stress and fatigue are factors to be considered in any accident evaluation. Most modes of transportation have regulations which limit the number of hours in a day that an operator or crew member may perform his duties.
For instance, truck drivers are limited to the number of hours they may drive, commercial pilots are limited to the number of hours they may fly, and vessel crew members are limited to the number of hours they may stand a watch in a particular calendar day.
But where the marine crews differ from those of the shore based operators, is that they must perform a number of functions in administration, maintenance and cargo operations in addition to their watch which shoreside personnel do not. While a ship may have additional personnel who do not stand a watch to handle maintenance, it is usually the officers who are involved in the paper work and in some cases in the handling of the cargo. This is most generally true on tank vessels where the cargo handling is done by the crew. Overtime has not been closely regulated by the Coast Guard and in fact, it often results in a higher total wage to crew members than the master or chief engineer get. Some union contracts require overtime. Unfortunately, the Coast Guard has ignored the intent of the law, and taken the position that as long as the overtime is voluntary, it does not violate the eight hour rule.
Shipowners are continually looking for ways to cut costs and in the last few years there has been a push to reduce the number of crew members on ocean going vessels and on tugs.
The Chairman of the International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF), said in a recent speech given to the Baltic and International Maritime Council that increased workloads and longer hours resulting from the lowering of crew levels meant reduced safety.
Contrary to the feeling of some others, he urged the implementation of the one man bridge watch coupled with increased instrumentation on the bridge. Those who opposed the one man bridge watch stated that the solitary person on the bridge would be confronted with more information than he could be expected to assimilate, particularly in an emergency.
It is has been indicated that the NTSB will be examining the fatigue issue in the EXXON VALDEZ case since the crew had been involved in loading her just before sailing.
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