Circadian Rhythm's Influence over Deck Officers' Behavior and Countermeasures to Be Taken

摘要

The influence of biological rhythm, especially circadian rhythm, on human health and work efficiency, especially on shift workers', is more and more recognized, among of which sleep/wake circle, body temperature, heart-beating rate and blood pressure rhythms have the greatest influence on human. Deck officers, whose job is characterized by mobility, continuity, emergency and alternative, are also affected greatly by circadian rhythm, which can be proved by the consistency on the whole between the law of marine accidents over time and that of human circadian rhythm change. The paper further analyzes the influence suffered by deck officers—poor quality sleep and easy fatigue, which makes them unable to concentrate, and makes them with such as diminished decision-making ability, poor memory and slow response. In view of the above, it suggests that their duty time should be adjusted, which is to postpone respectively their previous time 2 hours backwards. The new duty time is still 4-hour period each time and twice a day, but it raises the length and continuity of their efficient sleep time, finally upgrades the quality of sleep and decreases marine accidents. It provides a new way to study marine accidents.