I suppose the question for me is why is it that within the inland fleets we work, two, six hour watches as we all know that sleep derivation leads to perfusion problems, diabetic conditions, mental health problems, heart diseases; thereby if one is looking at the long term issue, an early death, or if one is looking at the short term issue then the command problems that stem from not being able to think clearly. How come management can demand and the Coast Guard continually allows this unsafe and uncaring deadly practice?

Are they not both required to be moral, meaning that they must keep trust safe, and do no harm? How many accidents find their causally within this practice? How many early deaths? How can the Coast Guard not be responsibility for the policies that they structure the working mariner with that impact his thinking and his health?


cites...

The National Sleep Foundation in the United States maintains that seven to nine hours of sleep for adult humans is optimal and that sufficient sleep benefits alertness, memory, problem solving, and overall health, as well as reducing the risk of accidents.

A widely publicized 2003 study] performed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine demonstrated that cognitive performance declines with six or fewer hours of sleep.

A University of California, San Diego, psychiatry study of more than one million adults found that people who live the longest self-report sleeping for six to seven hours each night.

Another study of sleep duration and mortality risk in women showed similar results.

Work harder; work longer; work safer....they just don't seem to go hand in hand. A similar problem is seen in long haul truckers. Supposedly up to 60% of the serious injury or fatality accidents occur directly from driver fatigue. To complicate the situation, when they do get some sleep, it is not good rem sleep. A growing percentage of the US population, suffers from some type of sleep disorder.

Thanks for the validation; however I was looking for a tactic in order to apply pressure. There are mariners being affect by the damage from this practice that range from loss of livelihood to a life time of medical issues that delimit their lives. In other words who can we make pay for this damage that is being done to others. Are there not laws against callous disregard for others? Which law can I apply, I suppose, that is the question that I would like answered. Please take your time and network all who might be creative enough to make a difference. I am willing to take the risk if I have a real direction, not that I am a hero it is just that someone needs to stir the pot.
Any ideas in pushing back?

If you do not mind, I would ask that you call 1-800-773-6770 to discuss.