Document ID: USCG-2015-0912-0004
Agency: uscg
Document Type: Supporting & Related Material
Title: 
Posted Date: 2015-10-16T04:00Z

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                                       Guidelines on Fatigue Module 4

                              FATIGUE AND TRAINING
                                        

 This module builds upon the previous modules and contains practical information intended to assist in the Training on Fatigue.  

 1.     What are the objectives of raising awareness and training on fatigue? 

 Fatigue training and awareness are essential components for effective fatigue management. Fatigue should be taught in a way that can assist trainees understand  and  relate to it personally. Seafarers will at some point be required to make operational decisions based on their knowledge of fatigue. Hence, all personnel who work on ships, and shore based personnel who contribute to fatigue management in the company need to have appropriate training. 

 As many known fatigue mitigation strategies on board lie outside the power of most  individuals to implement (such as the rearrangement of watches, changing ship design, or modifying voyage schedules), fatigue training should not just be limited to seafarers but should also include shore based personnel involved in overall operational risk assessment and resource allocation on ships. 
 
 
 The content of training programs should be adapted according to the knowledge and skills required for each group, to play their part effectively in fatigue management. All groups require base education about the dynamics of sleep loss and recovery, the effects of the daily cycle of the body clock, the influence of workload, and the ways in which these factors interact with operational demands to produce fatigue. In addition, it is useful for all groups to have information on how to manage their personal fatigue and sleep issues.
 
 
The objectives are to provide: 
   * an awareness of fatigue and  an acceptance that everyone experiences fatigue  -  it  is not a personal shortcoming or weakness; 
   * know- how about short and long-term fatigue signs and symptoms, including its effects; and possible preventive and mitigating measures; and
   * the ability to develop and implement fatigue  management strategies for preventing or minimizing fatigue within places of work.

 2. What approaches and techniques are successful for teaching fatigue management? 

 Training in fatigue causes and its management extends from the underlying science (Module 1) to mitigation, control and monitoring (Modules 2, 3 and 5).  It can be taught as part of general maritime training courses, or as specialized short courses. It can be taught ashore or afloat.  It can be included in refresher or revalidation training.
     
 Part of the education process should be to ensure that crew and shore-based personnel who contribute to fatigue management in the company understand the necessity of getting regular rest and sleep, and the implications of being fatigued (both to themselves and to the safety of the ship and/or those working with them).

	

 Training should include recognizing the symptoms of fatigue and developing preventive measures/mitigating techniques. Earlier modules should be utilized to specifically tailor the training to the audience. Areas covered can include the causes, symptoms, effects, prevention and mitigation factors, including rules and regulations concerning fatigue.

 Initial fatigue-related training efforts should establish a common base level of understanding among seafarers and shore based company employees about fatigue and the impairment it causes. This training should be provided to all seafarers and shore based personnel involved in manning and duty scheduling decisions.
      
     
As a minimum seafarer training should comprise:
 
 * Fatigue, its causes and potential consequences (contributors, consequences, high risk situations);
 * Sleep (circadian rhythms, body clock, sleep process, circadian low; sleep debt; sleep disorders, working at night and watchkeeping);
 * Fatigue countermeasures (mitigation strategies; managing sleep habits, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, nutrition, exercise, napping, rest breaks, etc.);
 * An understanding of the rules and regulations dealing with fatigue (MLC and STCW), and a recognition that these represent one line of defence in managing the risk of fatigue; 
 * How to identify fatigue in themselves and others;
 * Personal strategies that they can use to improve their sleep and to minimize their own fatigue risk, and that of others, while they are on duty;
 * Basic information on sleep disorders and their treatment, where to seek help if needed, and any requirements relating to fitness for duty;
 * Fatigue management, and how it works.
 
 
 

     
 Decisions on watch schedules can affect operational fatigue management, hence training and awareness about factors that contribute to fatigue and how duty and watch schedule design is crucial to fatigue management should be part of more comprehensive training. This training should be directed to more shipboard management officers  (master and officers) and shore based personnel involved in manning and duty scheduling decisions.
 
 As a minimum, training for these personnel should comprise:
     
*     Seafarer training on fatigue as indicated above;
*     Their role in relation to fatigue hazard identification, risk assessment, evaluation and reporting;
*     How scheduling affects sleep opportunities and can disrupt the body clock, the fatigue risk that this creates, and how it can be mitigated through proper work scheduling (in particular, the timing of duty schedules, work duration, recovery time between duty periods, recovery time between watch schedules and the potential impact that unscheduled changes can have on fatigue);
*     The use and limitations of any duty and watch scheduling tools andmodels  to predict the levels of crew fatigue/alertness; 
*     Processes and procedures for assessing the potential fatigue impact of planned scheduling changes. 

 As in all training, the subject matter can be greatly enhanced by use of computers, video presentations and similar audio-visual aids.

 3. Why include case studies/examples?
 
 It is important to incorporate case studies/examples into the training. These cases serve to support the "lessons learnt". Case studies from all transportation industries are useful, but the majority should focus on the maritime sector and preferably that sector with which the student is involved (coastal or ocean-going ships, barges, ratings, officers, etc.). The cases can be used to provide a picture of what happened, probable causes, and what can be done differently to prevent a reoccurrence.
 
 
 
 
 
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 As in all training, the subject matter can be greatly enhanced by use of computers, video presentations and similar audio-visual aids.

     

 4. What can be learnt from experience?

 Crew will all come with their personal experience of duty and watch scheduling and perception of fatigue and how to mitigate it. It is very important to share a common understanding on fatigue issues and on its management. Ideally, this new knowledge will be taken back to the workplace and put into practice. Prevention and mitigation measures can become a way of life for those who grasp the concept of fatigue and its effects on seafaring.

 Lessons learnt will provide a means to develop useful strategies to prevent or minimize fatigue. The instructor should review the previously shared personal experiences and direct the conversation toward the "lessons learnt" or strategies. The focus should then shift toward specific experiences (case studies as indicated above) within the seafarer's workplace to show what fatigue  management strategies should be adopted upon returning to the workplace.
 
     
     

     

     

     

     

 5. How can we disseminate the lessons learnt?

 Lessons learnt play a key role in helping to develop strategies for the workplace. They are also useful in reinforcing awareness of fatigue among seafarers, companies and ship designers. A summary could be circulated on a ship-by-ship or company-by-company basis or even by government agencies to relevant community groups. Various other organizations can also  pass on "lessons learnt."

 The subject of fatigue also fits well with companies, port authorities, and government agencies that print and distribute publications with a safety focus. Videos and Internet web- sites are other useful tools for dissemination. Examples showing how fatigue affects other transportation sectors could enhance the seafarer's understanding of how pervasive and far-reaching the problem is. Distributing these lessons will allow administrations, companies, and seafarers to demonstrate their commitment to the awareness and prevention of fatigue.
 

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 The development of strategies for "life after the training session" is vital. In this regard, it is necessary to incorporate case studies/examples into the training. These cases serve to support the "lessons learnt" portion of the training. Case studies from all transportation industries are useful, but the majority should focus on the maritime sector and preferably that sector with which the student is involved (coastal or ocean-going ships, barges, ratings, officers, etc.). The cases can be used to provide a picture of what happened, probable causes, and what can be done differently to prevent a reoccurrence.
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 References
 
 IMO  -  Training Course for Instructors
 
 IMO Model Course 1.21  Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities  2015 Edition
 
 Cardiff University, Seafarers Fatigue Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ua-ppReV684