Cosco Busan Photo by Noah Berger/Associated PressOctober 15th 2003 the Staten Island ferry crashed into a concrete pier killing eleven people and leaving 71 injured. It was later determined that the captain lost consciousness while at the ship’s controls. He had taken the painkillers Tramadol and Tylenol PM, both of which can cause drowsiness as a side effect. Since that time the United States Coast Guard has put increased scrutiny on the medical records of all licensed mariners, a review process that could get more stringent as details emerge regarding medication taken by the Cosco Busan’s pilot.The Associated Press tells us:
The ship pilot who was at the helm when a freighter spilled 58,000 gallons of fuel into San Francisco Bay in November suffers from a sleep disorder and was on prescription medication to ward off drowsiness, people close to the investigation told The Associated Press.Investigators want to know whether the disorder — or even the medication itself — contributed to the accident.Federal officials and others, speaking on condition of anonymity, said John Cota has sleep apnea, a breathing condition that can disrupt sleep all night long and leave sufferers severely fatigued during the day. Sleep apnea is blamed for countless auto accidents every year in which drivers nodded off at the wheel.Cota, 59, was also said to be taking a sleep-apnea drug whose known side effects include impaired judgment.Prescription drugs are “certainly a part of our investigation,” said G. Ross Wheatley, chief of investigations for the Coast Guard’s San Francisco sector.The disclosure has raised questions among members of Congress about the Coast Guard’s licensing practices and whether Cota should have been deemed fit for a job in which he was responsible for guiding giant cargo ships in and out of port and through the dangerous waters of the bay.Under Coast Guard policy, a sleep disorder can be grounds for disqualification, but is not automatically so. Continue Reading…
Those with medical concerns at sea should also check Global Rescue’s Medical Extraction Insurance for Mariners
Oh, lord, this is all we need. The Coast Guard already assumes that mariners are criminals, and now we’re not going to be able to be honest about any health issues we may have. Awesome.
Oh, lord, this is all we need. The Coast Guard already assumes that mariners are criminals, and now we’re not going to be able to be honest about any health issues we may have. Awesome.
I wouldn’t be suprised if we start to see a mandatory retirement age come out of this.
I wouldn’t be suprised if we start to see a mandatory retirement age come out of this.
[...] Cosco Busan Pilot’s Medical Records Questioned By John Since that time the United States Coast Guard has put increased scrutiny on the medical records of all licensed mariners a review process that could get more stringent as details emerge regarding the medical records of the Cosco Busan’s [...]
Ah! Let’s make people do something unnatural (stay up all night) and punish them when they act natural (get sleepy). What’s wrong with this picture?
I’m thinking if it’s absolutely important that we have no accidents we need to look at the need to move ships in the wee hours. It’s incredibly illogical to say that any chance of accident is unacceptable, but let’s do the work in the dark and after midnight.
Ah! Let’s make people do something unnatural (stay up all night) and punish them when they act natural (get sleepy). What’s wrong with this picture?
I’m thinking if it’s absolutely important that we have no accidents we need to look at the need to move ships in the wee hours. It’s incredibly illogical to say that any chance of accident is unacceptable, but let’s do the work in the dark and after midnight.
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Damn I am sick of drug prejudice. Almost every single Rx drug has the possibility of a side effect like “drowsiness.” Doesn't mean you will have it, but you could. Hell, it might kill you for that matter. It all depends on the patient. I'm sure they did a drug panel on the Captain involved and it showed neg for illegal drugs, so now they want to go with the supposition that the guy was all zoned out on some zombie pill. Meanwhile the news reports that the “barge” that hit the bridge and the “oil tanker” that collided… so how can you trust them not to go all hyperbolic over some some mild sleep disorder drug. People just do not follow the rules of common sense. I think this Pilot had some bad luck and now they are going to jump on every single thing that can be sensationalized. I fear that retirement will be his only option and that's a shame.
Damn I am sick of drug prejudice. Almost every single Rx drug has the possibility of a side effect like “drowsiness.” Doesn't mean you will have it, but you could. Hell, it might kill you for that matter. It all depends on the patient. I'm sure they did a drug panel on the Captain involved and it showed neg for illegal drugs, so now they want to go with the supposition that the guy was all zoned out on some zombie pill. Meanwhile the news reports that the “barge” that hit the bridge and the “oil tanker” that collided… so how can you trust them not to go all hyperbolic over some some mild sleep disorder drug. People just do not follow the rules of common sense. I think this Pilot had some bad luck and now they are going to jump on every single thing that can be sensationalized. I fear that retirement will be his only option and that's a shame.
virtuous info. good dlog
virtuous info. good dlog