SHIPBOARD ORGANIZATION AND MARITIME SAFETY: ALTERNATIVE WATCHSTANDING ARRANGEMENTS FOR OCEAN-GOING MERCHANT VESSELS

The operation of merchant ships ordinarily requires 24-hour attention by vessel personnel over extended periods of time. Vessel operations also commonly include dramatic variations in workload intensity, extended duty periods, and adverse environmental conditions. Particularly for certain officers in the deck department (those who are responsible for navigation and control of vessel movements), the fatigue that often results from these conditions and its impact on marine safety are matters of serious concern. Recent trends toward smaller crews aboard merchant ships also create a strong incentive to maximize the utilization of vessel personnel while maintaining or enhancing their job satisfaction. Thus, the job design issue of watch scheduling -- that is, the manner in which round-the-clock monitoring and control tasks are assigned to available personnel -- merits careful scrutiny.

Language

  • English

Media Info

  • Pagination: p. 52-66

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00726814
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Report/Paper Numbers: Volume 1
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Oct 8 1996 12:00AM