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Work hours, sleep patterns and fatigue among merchant marine personnel
Author(s) -
SANQUIST THOMAS F.,
RABY MIREILLE,
FORSYTHE ALICE,
CARVALHAIS ANTONIO B.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of sleep research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.297
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2869
pISSN - 0962-1105
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2869.1997.00245.x
Subject(s) - alertness , staffing , sleep (system call) , work schedule , schedule , duration (music) , shift work , psychology , work (physics) , medicine , operations management , scheduling (production processes) , computer science , engineering , psychiatry , nursing , art , literature , operating system , mechanical engineering
SUMMARY A field study of work and sleep patterns among commercial merchant marine personnel is reported. Data collected over a 10‐30‐d period from 141 subjects aboard eight ships included information concerning work‐rest schedules, sleep timing, alertness on the job and critical fatigue. The data indicate that watchstanders on the 4‐on, 8‐off schedule show considerable disruption in their sleep. The average sleep duration for all mariners is 6.6 h; watchstanders obtain their sleep in fragmented periods that are frequently less than 5 h in duration. Analysis of critical fatigue shows an incidence of 1‐24% across personnel and measures. Of particular concern are the watchstanders on the 04.00‐08.00 schedule, who sleep less than 4 h per 24‐h period 22% of the time. Potential countermeasures, including changes in scheduling and staffing are proposed.