Fatigue has been blamed for an accident in September last year, which resulted in the pilot of a towing vessel hitting a pier near Saint Rose in the US.
The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) said the pilot of the towing vessel, John 3:16, had been experiencing the effects of fatigue during his watch while navigating the Lower Mississippi River.
NTSB investigators concluded that he had had less than two hours of continuous sleep before taking the watch, and likely received less than five hours of sleep combined over the two days before striking the pier.
“A sleep deficit of as little as two hours can result in acute sleep loss and associated performance decrements, including decreased attention, slower reaction time, reduced vigilance, poor decision-making, and an inability to stay awake,” investigators found.
Fatigue is often a factor in marine casualties investigated by the NTSB.
“Fatigue affects all aspects of human performance, including decision-making, alertness, and reaction time, all of which affect a mariner’s ability to safely navigate a vessel,” investigators said. “Mariners should understand the performance effects of sleep loss and recognise the dangers of working on board a vessel while fatigued.”
Individuals typically require eight hours of quality sleep each 24-hour period to avoid the performance effects of fatigue.
“It is important that mariners get enough sleep during each off-watch period, so they remain alert when assuming watch.”
The final cost to repair the towing vessel and pier was $285 441.
