Zoning of the Russian Arctic seas in relation to the environmental impact on the mental and physical condition of the ship navigators

The Arctic is a specific geographical region where the harsh environment affects human well-being and performance, and therefore requires study and consideration in the practice of navigation to reduce accidents. The most difficult period of navigation is winter time: polar night and solid ice cover. Ice navigation is always fraught with a lot of difficulties for the crew members. Difficulties are associated not only with the remoteness from populated areas and ports, but also with climatic, meteorological and geophysical environmental conditions affecting the mental and physical condition of ship crews. Climatic, meteorological and ice conditions on all cargo ship routes along the Russian Arctic seas were selected and analyzed as the dominant factors affecting the ship's crew, including: the duration of the polar night and day, average and extreme temperatures (frosts) in winter, the maximum number of foggy days with limited visibility and the duration of the ice period. The analysis formed the basis for the construction of the "Matrix of Arctic Impacts" (MAI), which summarizes data on the level of manifestation of selected factors in local waters along the Russian Arctic seas. The analysis of the MAI made it possible to identify the waters along the Russian Arctic seas with the greatest impact of Arctic environmental factors on the psychophysical state of the crew members. In these waters, it is especially important to monitor the mental and physical condition of navigators in order to prevent accidents related to the "human factor". A possible approach to assessing the potential exposure of navigators to the manifestation of the "human factor" when navigating the Russian Arctic seas is outlined