Cross-sectional study about the activities for various occupational groups on board during different voyage stages

BACKGROUND: Employees on board must be highly qualified in order to be able to independently meet the different work requirements during the three voyage stages of a ship (port stay, river and sea passage). In this study, the activity profiles of the various occupational groups on container ships are presented according to the voyage stages. METHODS: As part of a maritime field study on 22 container ships in the North Sea area, the work processes of four different professional groups on board were evaluated, and a list of activity profiles was compiled. Directly after a voyage stage, the 323 seafarers participating in the study recorded the duration of each task within the recent voyage stage. The average proportion for each activity was determined and presented as a job activity profile. RESULTS: According to this profile, the diversity of tasks for the nautical officers and the deck ratings differ between the voyage stages. For watch officers, the focus of activity during port stay is on the preparation and monitoring of the loading process. During river and sea passages, more than 50% of the working time consists of monitoring the navigation area and about 10% of navigation. The main tasks for deck ratings during port stay include (preparation and follow-up) activities for loading and unloading the vessel and, during the other voyage stages, cleaning, painting and maintenance work on the ship. The activity profile for technical officers and engine room ratings less often differs significantly between the various voyage stages. There are numerous control, repair and maintenance tasks during the entire voyage. CONCLUSIONS: The established activity profiles show that the work diversity, especially among nautical officers and deck ratings, differs with a variety of requirements between the voyage stages. The activities of all four occupational groups varied most during port stay and less during the sea passage. To prepare maritime trainees for the expected job-related requirements and to identify the most suitable opportunities for recreation during a voyage, future maritime studies about stress on board should take the differences in the activities between occupational groups and the voyage stage into account.