The National Workboat Association (NWA) in the UK is launching an ‘understanding fatigue’ campaign to combat fatigue on offshore ships such as crew transfer vessels
The NWA, the safety standards, skills and trade association for the workboat industry, said it was taking steps to address the issue via a campaign and free poster.
The move comes in response to widespread concerns about fatigue among workboat crew members. The challenge posed by fatigue was first highlighted by members of the workboat and offshore wind sectors at the NWA’s inaugural Offshore Wind Safety Forum, held in September 2017.
As windfarms increase in size, scale and technological advancement, vessel operators find themselves working further away from shore, with longer journey times and the potential for extended shift patterns. With project developers aiming to maximise the ‘uptime’ of their contracted offshore workers, working hours can increase beyond advisable and on occasion legal limits, leaving crews overtired and vulnerable to making errors.
The NWA said this situation is often compounded by the contractual relationships in offshore wind construction, which can see projects handed over to new, sometimes less experienced, co-ordination. As project timeline pressure increases, crews are often at risk of missing the signs of fatigue.
Furthermore, some companies reported that crews felt a self-applied pressure to go ‘above and beyond’ for clients. While this can initially manifest as a one-off instance of overtime, it can quickly lead to long days and inadequate rest periods becoming commonplace.
The effects of extreme tiredness can include delayed reaction times, poor concentration, and a temptation to cut corners, all of which threaten the safety of crew members and the integrity of operations.
The NWA believes the offshore wind and workboat sectors must therefore collaborate to ensure that instances of fatigue are eliminated, by educating the managers responsible for planning operations, and by teaching crew members how to spot, and report, instances of fatigue at sea.
Having undertaken a year’s industry research, the NWA is now launching a campaign to address the issue, targeting shore-based management teams and workboat crews.
“Management teams may need to review how they plan operations to ensure that crews are well-rested and able to work safely and efficiently,” the NWA said.
A free poster sponsored by the Maritime & Coast Guard Agency and The Shipowners’ Club has been designed for display on all vessels to help crew members to identify the signs of fatigue in themselves and others.
The poster will be launched at the second NWA/Offshore Wind Safety Forum, to be held 6 September near Hull. This event will provide a platform for discussing fatigue issues and for distributing information and guidance from the NWA, one year on from the meeting at which the issue was first highlighted.
NWA secretary Mark Ranson said, “At last year’s Offshore Wind Safety Forum, fatigue was the most-discussed topic by far. It’s obviously a challenge for vessel operators, and it is potentially dangerous for crews. We wanted to research the reasons behind over-running working hours, and to empower the offshore wind and workboat industries to do something about it.
“This is really the culmination of a year’s worth of research and development – and we hope the poster campaign, and the opportunity to discuss the issue at our Safety Forum in September, will really galvanise all stakeholders to act and help to make a difference.”
National Workboat Safety Forum chairman Kerrie Forster said “We are really pleased so far with the positive response to the campaign within the industry. Researching the subject over the last year, we have been strongly supported by government and industry bodies, offshore windfarm operators and stakeholders – and of course vessel operators and their crews.
“Together we are taking another strong step towards creating a safer and more efficient industry for the future. In order for the campaign to achieve maximum impact, we ask all offshore vessel stakeholders, clients, and management to display the posters in their workplace to enhance awareness of this important issue.”
For more information on the Understanding Fatigue campaign, and to access further resources, please visit: http://www.workboatassociation.org/news/understanding-fatigue/
© 2023 Riviera Maritime Media Ltd.