By Elida Moreno PANAMA CITY, Dec 20 (Reuters)– In April in 2015, the 148-tonne tugboat Cerro Santiago rammed the united state Coast Guard vessel Tampa while going through the Panama Canal after the captain of the pull dropped off to sleep.

No one was hurt, yet the repair work to the Tampa set you back $170,000, stated a record by the united state National Transportation Safety Board, a federal government company.

The danger of such cases is expanding as tiredness pesters pull drivers from lengthy changes, according to a record released this month appointed by Panama’s captains union.

The Panama Canal Authority contests the searchings for.

Since the Panama Canal opened up a brand-new collection of secure 2016, some captains have actually been covering lengthy changes.

The record stated the system is adversely impacting staffs’ wellness on the canal, which manages 5 percent of globe profession.

The research, that included meetings with 55 captains, a 3rd of the complete working at the center, is the union’s latest promote a various change system, team participants stated.

“We’re worried about the deterioration of the captains’ health and fear another accident might happen,” captain Ivan De La Guardia informed Reuters.

The union stated it had actually sent out 15 letters to the canal authority advising activity, without getting a solution.

De La Guardia, among the union’s leaders, stated that because July 1 there have actually been 7 tugboat mishaps. None were major, yet all included captains going to sleep, he stated.

When the brand-new locks initially opened up, 2 tugboat captains were appointed to every maneuver in the canal. But the canal authority chose in mid-2018 that captain would certainly suffice after a duration of “adaptation” finished.

That has actually suggested longer changes and also even more stress at the office, captain Roberto Feurtado stated.

Jorge Quijano, manager of the Canal authority, informed Reuters that functional regulations for tugboats require just one captain, 2 team and also one machinist.

“The work that is being done is not generating any fatigue,” Quijano stated, calling the procedures secure and also the workplace “appropriate.”

The authority states the mishap price is listed below 1 percent at the canal, which has more than 13,000 transportations yearly.

The brand-new collection of locks calls for tugboats to come with vessels going through the river throughout the whole transportation. Maneuvers can occupy to 10 hrs.

Nearly one in 3 captains spoke with for the record stated they have actually developed to 20 hrs in a solitary change, and also 6 of them reported going to sleep at the office. (Reporting by Elida Moreno in Panama City added coverage by Diego Ore and also Marianna Parraga in Mexico City Editing by Leslie Adler)

( c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018.