Effects of fatigue on navigation officers and SWOT analyze for reducing fatigue related human errors on board

Maritime industry is still a human-centered industry in spite of latest technologies which has developed for reducing marine accidents. Human based errors cause marine accidents more than equipment based problems. These accidents cause catastrophic consequences about human life and marine environment. Fatigue of navigation officers plays effective role on these human-based errors and marine accidents. Fatigue can be defined as temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work. There are several factors that effect navigation officer’s fatigue. Fatigue is associated with poor quality sleep, negative environmental factors, high job demands and high stress. In this study, relationship between fatigue of navigation officers and marine accidents examined; Factors which are affecting fatigue of navigation officers determined with SWOT (strength, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) analysis method. SWOT analysis is an established method for assisting the formulation of strategy. With this analysis, efforts were made to explore the ways and means of converting the possible threats into opportunities and changing the weaknesses into strengths. Consequently strategic action plans were developed for minimizing fatigue related human errors on-board.