Why do seafarers adjust their records?

In 2020 the ITF Seafarers’ Trust commissioned a pilot study on of seafarers’ hours of work/rest records, subsequently published as A Culture of Adjustment. This research uncovered and analysed the systemic failure to achieve compliance with existing regulations intended to ensure safety of life at sea and minimise the risks of fatigue.

This subject has been a thorn in the side of those striving to represent the interests of seafarers for many years, even decades. All are well aware of the impact of fatigue on physical and mental health, including the stress of working in a dangerous environment whilst exhausted. But whilst unions and charities have lobbied for a more humane approach to hours of work/rest – which inevitably leads to questions around manning – the industry has resolutely resisted, no doubt fearing risks to competitive advantage, disruption of the so-called ‘level playing field’ or simply loss of profits.

A Culture of Adjustment took a multi-stakeholder approach exploring the experience and views of seafarers, port State control officers, ITF ?inspectors, representatives from shipowners, ship managers, casualty investigators, and more. The authors found, not surprisingly given the title, a culture throughout the industry of adjusting records to give an impression of compliance with regulation and maintain smooth operation of the vessel. Worrying not only for the inaccurate depiction of rest time, but a finding that might call into doubt the validity of other records kept on board. All parties collude to maintain this impression, including the seafarers themselves. In addition there are multiple, sometimes unintended, incentives to maintain the status quo. The report provided compelling evidence of a ‘normalisation of deviance’, an acceptance that the balance of power and the complex layers of stakeholders make it too difficult for each of the responsible parties to address the core of the problem. The concept of seafarers’ entitlement to adequate rest and relaxation – not just sleep - has been radically undermined and the imperative of maximising efficiency of trade elevated to an unassailable mantra. As well engaging with and describing the problem from all sides, the research also provided helpful recommendations and an implicit framework for collaboration that was a feature of the constructive methodology employed.

Predictably, it was lambasted by certain shipowner representatives – the sample size was too small for extrapolation. Never mind the logic of the argument or the long history of earlier studies reaching similar conclusions.

So four years on here we are with the sequel: Quantifying an Inconvenient Truth – Revisiting a Culture of Adjustment an Work/Rest Hours. This newly published report adds the big numbers (6,304 valid responses)? captured through a global survey of seafarers to substantiate the qualitative interview based approach of the earlier study. It also interweaves extracts from 30 years of earlier studies with consistent, arguably repetitive, conclusions. Seafarers are expected to work for much longer hours than their shore based counterparts. The combination of increased work load and reduced manning means they are largely unable to comply with existing regulation. Lack of adequate rest leads to fatigue, which correlates with poor physical and mental health and an increased risk of accidents. The solution can only be less work or increased manning. Isn’t it time to acknowledge the reality and agree on some solutions?

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