On 29 May 2018 more than 35 participants from all over Europe participated in the TASCS mid-term event in Rotterdam.
After the finalisation of the big scale assessment of the present situation through vessel visits and interviews with the major stakeholders of the sector, it is time to evaluate the state of affairs of the research before drafting crewing policy options for the future.
There are clear indications that the present crewing regulation valid on the Rhine is no longer fit for purpose. That no more crew is needed on board than regulatory required is just stating the obvious. Overall a strict hierarchy is observed on board of most vessels regarding tasks-allocation and working time.
Working time is one of the dominating in workload and recovery. Fatigue is an element especially when navigating in 24/7 system where only short sleeps are taken (average 4, max 5 hours, if 6h shift).
For exceptional tasks a preference is observed for relying on shore based personnel rather than having an additional crew member on board.
Of course the final picture is not fully clear, additional input will be collected from the Expert workshop that will take place in June 2018 that will cast a glimpse on future solutions.