Crew Endurance Management

What is Crew Endurance Management?

The ability to maintain performance within safety limits while enduring job-related physiological, psychological and environmental challenges.

How Can I Learn More?

Crew Endurance Management (CEM) Pamphlet This tri-fold pamphlet may be printed out and used for informational and training purposes.

The CEMS Guide for Maritime Operations (Spanish Version) released January 2003.  The guide gives an overview of the CEMS program and explains the scientific research and tools behind it. The guide is organized into five sections:

• An overview of CEMS,
• An example showing how to implement CEMS onboard a commercial vessel,
• Details on how to manage the "Red Zone",
• Tips on controlling maritime related performance stressors, and
• Suggestions showing how an organization can implement CEMS.

Addendum to the Guide for Maritime Operations (Spanish Version) released September 2005.  The addendum aims to supplement the original Guide for Maritime Operations with additional details and discussion in a step-by-step format.

Coast Guard-American Waterways Operators CEMS PowerPoint Presentation.
Created by the CG-AWO CEMS Workgroup to facilitate CEMS education to middle and upper management.  Click here for the script.    Click here for the power point file.  

The Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) 02-08, dated March 21, 2008, provides guidelines for vessel owners, operators, third-party auditors, Coast Guard personnel and others to assess a company's or vessel's CEMS program. Enclosures in the NVIC provide a discussion of the essential implementation steps, risk factors, and the role of the CEMS Coach. Lastly there is a job aid/checklist provided to aid an evaluator in assessing an organization's CEMS program.

CEMS Demonstration Project, Report to Congress  Under the Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2004, Congress directed the Coast Guard to report on the results of a demonstration project involving the implementation of CEMS on towing vessels. The purpose of the demonstration project was to show that CEMS is feasible, effective and sustainable. The project was completed in the Summer of 2005 and subsequently delivered to Congress on March 29, 2006.

These tools are distributed to those individuals attending Crew Endurance Coaches Training for use in education and risk assessment efforts:

LINK TO INSTRUCTIONS FOR DOWNLOADING THE FOLLOWING 2 TOOLS.

CEM Self Sustaining Workshop (SSW). Computer software that enables trainers and operators alike to learn the basics of CEM in an interactive, self-paced style. Considered the encyclopedia of CEM, it is designed to help Coaches with education efforts within their vessels and companies. It is distributed to all who attend Crew Endurance Coaches Training.

Decision Support Tool (DST). CEM implementation tool that enables maritime operators to assess 15 Crew Endurance Risk Factors and subsequently develop crew endurance plans to address those areas needing improvement.

Crew Endurance Training Tool (CETT). This tool is provided to Crew Endurance Experts to help them train new Crew Endurance Coaches. The CETT provides Experts with a presentation that follows the course outline laid out in the Coast Guard accepted course for CEM.  

Crew Endurance Coaches Training

Coaches Training is a two-day course designed to provide operators and managers with the knowledge and skills necessary to begin implementation of Crew Endurance Management on board their vessels or within their companies. See our Training Page for more details.

Crew Endurance Experts Training

Experts Training is a three-day course designed to prepare trainers to teach the two-day Coaches Training course.  In order to attend this course, members must have completed and passed the two-day Coaches Training course. For more information on this training, see our Training Page.

If you would like to receive more information please contact the CEMS program manager at (202) 372-1426.

Please note: Some of the Web sites listed below are not federal government Web sites, and may not necessarily operate under the same laws, regulations and policies as federal Web sites.

National Sleep Foundation
National Institutes of Health
Center for Disease Control
American Psychological Association
Harvard Medical School
Mayo Clinic
Stanford University
Alert!
Drowsy Driving

(Links from this page to non-Coast Guard sites are provided as a customer service and do not represent any implicit or explicit endorsement by the United States Coast Guard of any commercial or private issues or products presented there.)

Where Was CEM Developed?

The Coast Guard Research and Development Center in Groton, Connecticut developed CEM as part of its Human Error Reduction/Fatigue Research Effort.

How is CEM Being Implemented?

The Human Element and Ship Design Division at Coast Guard Headquarters promotes deployment of CEM through partnerships with various maritime industry groups such as the American Waterway Operators AWO) and the Chamber of Shipping of America (CSA).