Executive summary
On Saturday 5 July 2003 at about 2100, the passenger freight ferry "Aratere" collided bow first with the starboard side of a fishing vessel moored at Aotea Quay in Wellington Harbour. The fishing vessel, "San Domenico", and the quay suffered extensive damage.
The safety issues identified included:
· the undertaking of safety critical tasks while suffering from the effects of chronic sleep loss
· the adequacy of provision of medical data concerning sleep disorders in the Maritime Rules
· the adequacy of the requirement to report to owners and operators any condition that may affect the ability of staff involved in safety critical tasks to perform their duties.
Safety recommendations were made to the Director of Maritime Safety to address these issues.
Related Recommendations
draft an amendment to Maritime Rule 34 [Medical Standards] for the Minister’s consideration to · provide educational material for examining medical practitioners as to the difficulties of shift work, sleep disorders, fatigue, prescribed medications, and the impact these have with seafarers, particularly those engaged in safety critical tasks
prepare educational material for employers and seafarers on the problems associated with stress, including fatigue, medical conditions and certain types of medication, and the impact this may have on the fitness for duty of those working in safety critical tasks
Draft an amendment to Maritime Rule 34[Medical Standards] for the Minister’s consideration, to require medical practitioners to consider if there is evidence of any such sleep disorders or fatigue when conducting their examinations