Seafarers' Worst Enemies: Fatigue and Lack of Sleep

Image from Seaman OnlinePH

Shipping Fact

About 90% of goods are carried by ships. The reason behind may already be apparent, other means of transport (i.e. planes) are incapable of carrying goods the way that a ship does. A ship delivers a substantial amount of goods per voyage over large distances, swiftly and safely. As such, no one can argue about the importance of vessels in the World's trade.

The Workers Aboard a Ship

Consequently, a worker aboard a ship (popularly coined as a seafarer) is required to be on alert 24 hours a day for any emergency that may arise regarding any issue concerning the crew, the ship, the environment, and the cargo.

Therefore, due to the nature of their work, it is inevitable that seafarers sometimes suffer from the lack of sleep and fatigue.

Effects of Lack of Sleep

Lack of sleep is very dangerous, as a seafarer must allocate 100% of his focus on his work. Lack of sleep leads to but not limited to the following:

1. Reduced alertness, leading to risky working conditions
2. High irritability
3. Slower reaction to stimuli
4. Reduced thinking ability
5. Poor coordination
6. Lower standard of performance etc.

Rest

As you may have known, Human error is associated with 90% of accidents at sea, lack of sleep aggravates this risk.


Therefore, it is strongly recommended that seafarers rest whenever possible especially when a strenuous task is expected. Taking short breaks help ease fatigue so take a break when a break is scheduled.

Simple Remedies

When lack of sleep couldn't be avoided due to unforeseen circumstances, it is recommended to drink simple stimulants like coffee, cola, and, multivitamins to increase focus and effectiveness.