InterManager: Fatigue Regulations Need to Reflect Reality at Sea

 

Fatigue is not a new problem in shipping. It has been discussed, regulated, and reported for years, yet it remains one of the greatest threats to safety at sea.

Work schedules, crew size, and external conditions — such as adverse weather or busy port operations — can all play a role in building up cumulative fatigue. Even a single night of inadequate sleep can impair cognitive function, causing reduced alertness, slower response times, and lapses in concentration.

The uncomfortable truth is that the system we have built makes genuine compliance almost impossible - and everyone in the industry knows it.

At InterManager, we represent ship managers who are trying to do the right thing every day. They are responsible for running ships safely, supporting seafarers, and meeting a mountain of operational and commercial demands. They take fatigue seriously because they know it damages safety, morale, and retention. But we must be honest about the environment they work in.

When compliance is impossible

Today’s ships are expected to do more than ever before. Environmental regulations, reporting obligations, inspections, audits, and administrative requirements have multiplied. Yet manning levels have not kept pace. Crews are smaller, workloads are higher, and the paperwork never ends.

It should surprise no one that seafarers often struggle to meet the current rules on hours of rest. InterManager’s engagement with its members and seafarers shows that rest records are frequently falsified in order to show compliance. This is not because seafarers are dishonest, but because the system itself is unrealistic.

A seafarer cannot rest if the job is not done. When manning levels are too low for the workload, people will work until the work is finished, and then they will fill in the logbook to make it look right. That is not a failure of the crew or their managers; it is a failure of regulation to reflect reality.

The legacy of STCW 2010

The STCW Convention, last updated in 2010, was written for a different shipping world. It does not recognize the operational pressures of today’s vessels, where one person often carries the workload of two. Regulations on hours of rest and minimum safe manning look tidy on paper, but they do not match the conditions that exist at sea.

The result is predictable. Fatigue becomes part of daily life. Mistakes are made, near misses increase, and safety margins shrink. The industry has normalized a situation that is neither sustainable nor safe.

InterManager’s position is clear. We are calling for the revision of STCW to bring rules back in line with operational reality. Fatigue must be treated as a structural risk, not an individual failing.

The illusion of digital help

Technology is often presented as the answer. There is talk of digital tools that record hours of rest automatically or track workload more accurately. But many of these systems simply add more work and are not designed with seafarers in mind.

Every new app, every new portal, and every new reporting platform demands time and attention. Instead of lightening the load, they often make life more complicated. Digitalization must be human-centric - it must help seafarers and managers, not bury them under another layer of data entry and oversight.

The answer is not more systems but better systems - i.e., ones that remove duplication, automate reporting where possible, and give managers clear insight without demanding hours of input from already overstretched crews.

Trust and honesty

The falsification of rest hours is a symptom of a culture that values paperwork over people, andwe all know that fatigue reports are often adjusted to pass inspections. Everyone understands that compliance is more about appearance than accuracy, and this breeds distrust between seafarers, shore staff, and inspectors.

If we want to solve fatigue, we must rebuild that trust. Seafarers must feel safe to report reality without fear of punishment. Ship managers must be recognised as partners in finding solutions, not as targets for blame. And regulators must listen to those who are actually operating ships, not just those who write the rules.

Ship managers deserve support, not criticism

Ship managers are doing an extraordinary job under extraordinary pressure. They are responsible for thousands of ships and hundreds of thousands of seafarers, and they are expected to deliver compliance, safety, and profitability all at once.

They did not create the problem of fatigue, but they are the ones dealing with its consequences every day. InterManager stands behind them. Our members want realistic, safe, and sustainable operations, and are not asking for lower standards, just achievable ones.

We must stop pretending that manning levels set decades ago are sufficient for today’s ships. We must stop adding administrative burdens in the name of safety while ignoring the human cost. And we must ensure that regulations are written by people who understand what life at sea really looks like.

A quality club for a modern industry

InterManager is a global association of professional ship and crew managers who care deeply about the people keeping ships running. We believe true professionalism means honesty and having the courage to speak up when systems fail to work, even if that makes others uncomfortable.

Fatigue has been ignored for too long. It is time for the industry to show the same courage and authenticity that our seafarers demonstrate every single day.

Looking ahead

The revision of STCW offers an opportunity to make meaningful change. We can set realistic standards for hours of rest, modernise safe manning levels, and design digital tools that support human beings instead of overloading them.

InterManager will continue to push for these changes, not through criticism, but through collaboration. We will work with owners, regulators, and technology providers to ensure that safety starts with people, not paperwork.

Fatigue is not a weakness to be managed by individuals. It is a system-wide issue that demands system-wide reform. Let us start by acknowledging reality and by trusting the people who live it every day.

If we want a safer, more sustainable industry, we must first give our seafarers and ship managers the time, trust, and tools they need to rest - and to do their jobs properly.

Kuba Szymanski is Secretary General of InterManager.