A brand new examine revealed that at present there isn’t a scientific information to assist a change in working hours for towing vessel crew members.

The examine, carried out for the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, analyzed a number of current research suggesting that when sleep is cut up into multiple interval per day, efficiency is comparable, and in some instances, higher than when the identical length of sleep is obtained in a single sleep interval.

“The TRB study is the latest contribution to a growing body of scientific research in multiple transportation modes that demonstrates that splitting sleep into two periods can be a safe and effective way to manage fatigue in 24/7 operating environments like the tugboat, towboat and barge industry,” American Waterways Operators Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Jennifer Carpenter mentioned in an announcement.

Regulatory adjustments to hours of service “are not likely to be the most effective way to increase sleep durations and improve sleep quality,” based on the examine, which presents a collection of “evidence-based best practices to improve sleep on schedules requiring a split-sleep period.”

The examine recommends that these finest practices be linked collectively by a fatigue threat administration system developed as a part of a towing vessel’s security administration system.

The examine was hailed by the American Waterways Operators, which has been working with its members and the Coast Guard to forestall and handle fatigue dangers in our trade for almost 20 years.

“We look forward to working with the Coast Guard and our other government partners to incorporate the TRB study recommendations into our ongoing efforts to ensure that towing vessel crewmembers consistently obtain the quantity and quality of sleep they need to do their jobs safely and to optimize crewmembers’ sleep and endurance within existing industry watch schedules,” Ms. Carpenter added.