Fatigue is a leading cause of accidents at sea. The MLC therefore requires every flag State to set either maximum hours of work or minimum hours of rest. The normal standard, as for other workers, is an eight-hour day with one day of rest per week and rest on public holidays.
The limits (Standard A2.3, para 5)
Each flag State applies one of two options:
- Maximum work: 14 hours in any 24-hour period and 72 hours in any seven-day period.
- Minimum rest: 10 hours in any 24-hour period and 77 hours in any seven-day period.
Splitting rest
- Rest may be divided into no more than two periods, one of which must be at least six hours.
- The interval between consecutive rest periods must not exceed 14 hours.
- "Rest" means time outside hours of work; short breaks do not count.
Drills and call-outs
- Musters, fire-fighting and lifeboat drills must be run in a way that minimizes disturbance of rest and does not induce fatigue.
- If you are on call (for example, with an unattended engine room) and your rest is disturbed by call-outs, you must get adequate compensatory rest.
Image: Susanne Nilsson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Table and records
- A table of shipboard working arrangements, showing sea and port schedules and the applicable limits for every position, must be posted in an easily accessible place, in the ship's working language and in English.
- Records of daily hours of work or rest are kept, and you receive a copy of your own records, endorsed by the master (or authorized person) and by you.
The master's emergency power
For the immediate safety of the ship, people on board or cargo, or to assist others in distress, the master may suspend the schedule. Once the situation is normal, anyone who worked during a scheduled rest period must be given adequate rest.
Under 18 (Guideline B2.3.1)
Recommended: no more than 8 hours a day and 40 hours a week, at least one hour for the main meal, and a 15-minute break after every two hours of continuous work.
Practical tip: Compare your rest records with reality before you sign them. "Compliant on paper" records are the first documents examined after an accident.
Source: ILO, Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 — Regulation 2.3, Standard A2.3. This article is based on the MLC 2006 text published by the ILO and is for general information. Your flag State's law or your collective agreement may give you more favourable terms; in a specific dispute, talk to your union or a lawyer.
Full series: MLC 2006 Guide: Seafarers' Rights
