Whether operating potentially dangerous machinery or driving home after a long shift, workers suffering the effects of fatigue are far from being at their best. If they drift into sleep, even for a few seconds, the consequences can be tragic.
A double fatality involving crew on a prawn trawler off Scotland’s west coast has prompted a warning of the dangers of tiredness. The trawler ran aground and sank in June 2006. It is suspected that one of the victims fell asleep in the wheelhouse. Neil Sutherland, 39, and David Davidson, 40, were crewing the boat.
The Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said Davidson and Sutherland had been suffering the effects of fatigue from working long hours with insufficient sleep. According to MAIB, the incident shows the importance of taking "regular and substantial breaks."
The branch has issued information to fishing industry workers to take fatigue seriously.
