Physical influences on seafarers are different during their voyage episodes of port stay, river passage and sea passage: A maritime field study.

INTRODUCTION: During a sea voyage, crew members of vessels are permanently exposed to physical stress caused by noise, vibration and heat. This study aims to describe the extent of the physical influences on board container ships and the resulting stress.

METHODS: Up to four scientific investigators accompanied six sea voyages on container ships under German management. Workplace and person-related measurements for noise, vibration and climatic parameters were carried out on the vessels during the three different voyage episodes (port stay, river passage and sea passage).

RESULTS: The interviewed seafarers reported, in decreasing order, the level of psychological stress due to vibration (80.6%), noise (71.8%) and, much less, heat (45.7%) in the workplace. In terms of workplace-related physical measurements, the highest noise levels were found in the engine room (104 dB (A)), in the workshop (81 dB (A)) and on deck (77 dB (A)), irrespective of the voyage episode. Some noise measurements in the recreational area revealed levels above the threshold. All measured 180 vibration values were below the relevant threshold limits-with the highest values in the engine room (62 mm/s2), followed by the workshop (37 mm/s2) and the engine control room (34 mm/s2). In terms of thermal comfort, none of the measured climatic parameters differed significantly between the voyage episodes. According to the person-related physical measurements, the noise exposure was particularly pronounced among the engine room personnel with an average noise level of 96 dB (A) (often during cleaning, painting and repair work). In contrast, the deck crew and nautical officers were respectively exposed to an average level of 83 dB (A) and 77 dB (A) at work.

DISCUSSION: A relevant stress level due to physical loads was detectable in the present study. As ship crews are exposed to the physical influences on board for 7 days a week over several months, further research is recommended to assess the long-term health effects for seafarers.