As Panamanian officials consider whether to build wider, longer locks to accommodate ultralarge ships and envision the wonders of a resort planned for the canal's southern terminus, a more mundane but nonetheless critical matter demands attention. At a time when the need for experienced pilots is growing, almost half of the pilot force is eligible for retirement. Union chief Teran believes that many of the senior people, weary from lengthening work days and uneasy about the impending change in canal management, will opt out in the near future. We're frequently working 16 hours at a stretch. Hours are irregular as well as long.
Accidents can happen.
At least two commission officials who attended a National Transportation Safety Board symposium on fatigue last November returned with strong opinions on the subject. Dr. Maria Antoniadis, chief of the commission's Occupational Health Division, and Jorge Quijano, chief of the Locks Division, wrote separate memoranda urging canal managers to take steps to ensure that pilots get enough sleep. The long, erratic shifts, however, have continued. During Hultin's early years on the canal, ships as big as the 65,000-ton Kiyoh were oddities. Now such vessels are the norm, and Hultin isn't happy about it.