Analysis of the impact of Arctic environment conditions on the psychophysical status of navigators and safety of ice navigation

Abstract

Abstract The Arctic is a specific geographical region, whose environment effects any person's staying and working there, so it demands researching and accounting in the practice of ice navigation. The most difficult period of navigation is the winter-spring time, when Arctic Seas are covered by an ice cover. Ice navigation is always associated with a large number of difficulties for the crewmen, not only because of the geographical location of the water area, but also the climatic and environment conditions that impact on the mental and physical state of crewmen. These conditions, namely, the length of the polar night and day, the extreme frosts, maximum number of foggy days, and the duration of the ice period on all the tracks of the cargo ships along the North Sea Route were selected and analysed as the dominant factors that impact on the ship's crewmen. The analysis was performed on the base of the ‘Matrix of Arctic Impacts’ arraying that summarizes data about the level of the selected factors displayed in the local water areas along the North Sea Route and provided the selection of the local water areas with the most impacts of Arctic environment factors on the psychophysical status of the crewmen. In these water areas, accidents caused by the ‘human factor’ are most likely to occur. Therefore, special researches of the Arctic environment's impact on navigators is required in order to improve the safety of ice navigation.