ABSTRACT
Little is currently known about the underlying causes of accidents at sea. Although accident-reporting systems do exist, systematic analysis of incidents has been somewhat lacking. The purpose of this report therefore, was to collect accident data from several existing sources and to determine the role of fatigue (as indicated by temporal, environmental and occupational factors) in causation. The report focuses specifically on short-sea vessels working in the offshore oil industry and examines similar variables and issues described in a recent analysis of injuries occurring on offshore oil and gas installations (Parkes & Swash: 1999). The main objectives can therefore be summarised as follows:
1. To identify the extent to which accidents in short-sea shipping are attributable to temporal, occupational and environmental factors.
