Horizon Research Project
This EU sponsored research project is a joint venture between Warsash Maritime Academy (Southampton Solent University), Chalmers Tekniska Hoegskola AB (Dept of Shipping and Marine Technology (Sweden), the Stress Research Institute of Stockholm University, together with 8 other participant companies and authorities.
There are increasing concerns over human safety, environmental damage and commercial loss due to watch officer fatigue. The UK’s Marine Accident Investigation branch (MAIB) report entitled “Bridge Watchkeeping Safety Study (2004)” cites fatigue as a major causal factor in collisions and groundings. There is however, very little information about how the watch patterns for instance, 6on – 6off and 4on - 8off have an influence on watchkeeper performance.
In this research we have studied how the different watch systems have influenced the levels of fatigue or sleepiness, both of deck and engine room watchkeeping officers. The simulation research involving seven days of realistic voyage scenarios has been completed and a vast array of data has been assembled. It is in course of analysis by Stockholm Univeristy as well as by the two maritime research universities here at Warsash and in Gothenberg. Later in 2011 the first assessment of these results will appear and as they become final will be published and disseminated widely. Output will be reported on the main Horizon website (www.project-horizon.eu|) linked below.
Do you want to know more?
Download the PDF leaflet|
or please contact:
Annette Dymond
Phone +44 (0) 1489 556184
E-mail: annette.dymond@solent.ac.uk|
Professor Mike Barnett
E-mail: Mike.Barnett@solent.ac.uk|