Radiologist Burnout: Mission Accomplished

Abstract

The sinking of the merchant vessel El Faro during Hurricane Joaquin in 2015 was avoidable. Warning signs were ignored, misinterpreted, or trivialized until too late. All 33 people on board perished because of human decisions. The captain’s strident denials of imminent danger and his patronizing reassurances, coupled with the silence of a panicked but sheepish crew, unfailingly obedient to the chain of command, was a recipe for disaster. The fact that El Faro was poorly maintained, overloaded with cargo, and, due to corporate lobbying efforts, exempt from advanced safety features available on newer ships, also contributed to the loss of life [1].