Questionnaire survey of masters, mates, and pilots of a State Ferries System on health, social, and performance indices relevant to shift work.

A questionnaire survey of health, social, and performance indices related to shiftwork among masters, mates, and pilots of a State Ferries System was performed in response to a joint request from labor and management. The questionnaire results for the group as a whole resembled those reported for other groups of shiftworkers. Significantly more sick days, dissatisfaction with work schedules, poor sleep patterns, physician consultations for insomnia, and reports of errors of judgement and near misses attributed to fatigue were reported on the ferry run with one of the most erratic schedules compared to all other runs, suggesting the need for further study.