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Injury Prevention Resources for Fishing - Vessel and Crew Safety
The following links list tools, publications, and other resources to help prevent the most common injuries and illnesses in the commercial fishing industry. These resources may not meet all the requirements for health and safety in British Columbia. Please check the Workers Compensation Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, and related materials for specific WorkSafeBC requirements.
WorkSafe Bulletin: Hazards of Carbon Monoxide on Fishing Vessels WS 04-07
Carbon monoxide (CO) is a hazard in any enclosed space on a boat where the gases produced by combustion can collect. Breathing in this colourless, odourless, tasteless gas can cause serious injury or death. This bulletin outlines symptoms of CO poisoning, causes of CO build-up on vessels, and safe work practices such as the use of CO monitors, adequate ventilation, and proper engine maintenance.Source: WorkSafeBC
* HTML & PDF versions
WorkSafe Bulletin: Immersion Suits WS 04-06
An immersion suit can save your life if you are forced to abandon ship into the cold waters of B.C. This bulletin describes the advantages of an immersion suit and how to take care of your suit so that it remains watertight.Source: WorkSafeBC
* HTML & PDF versions
WorkSafe Bulletin: Cold Water Immersion WS 04-01
Falling into B.C.'s cold water can be deadly to those working on or near the water. The effects of cold water on the body happen in four stages: cold shock, swimming failure, hypothermia, and post-rescue collapse. Any of these can result in death. The bulletin suggests ways that crewmembers can avoid entering the water and describes the advantages of flotation devices in surviving cold water immersion.Source: WorkSafeBC
* HTML & PDF versions
Practicing Safety - How to Conduct Effective Emergency Drills on Fishing Vessels
This 24-minute video demonstrates the five emergency drills regulated by WorkSafeBC for fishing vessels: fire on board, crew-member overboard, flooding, calling for help, and abandoning ship. The video outlines how to organize, safely conduct, and debrief a crew on these five drills and demonstrates the drills on both large and small vessels. (1999)Source: WorkSafeBC
* Available in video or DVD format
Cold Water Can Kill
"People working on or around the water should worry less about hypothermia and more about cold water shock, says WCB occupational safety officer Shane Neifer. "It takes time to develop hypothermia, but cold shock can kill in as little as three minutes.""Source: WorkSafeBC
, WorkSafe Magazine, February 2004* PDF (160 KB)
Fish Harvesting Alert: 79 Fatalities 1991-2006
A hazard alert.Source: WorkSafeBC
* HTML & PDF versions
Fish Harvesting Alert: Vessels Capsizing and Lives Lost
A hazard alert.Source: WorkSafeBC
* HTML & PDF versions
158 Fishing Vessels Capsized 1975-2006
A hazard alert.Source: WorkSafeBC
* HTML & PDF versions
West Coast Initiative to Enhance and Promote Safety Awareness in The Marine Community
MAG has released these documents to enhance and promote marine safety.Source: MAG (Inter-Agency Marine Action Group)
Capsize of the fishing trawler, the Hope Bay
* English version PDF (116 KB)
* Chinese version PDF (129 KB)
* Vietnamese version PDF (28 KB)
Mayday call/distress instructions
* English version PDF (85 KB)
* Chinese version PDF (108 KB)
* Vietnamese version PDF (27 KB)
A Best Practices Guide to Vessel Stability
"This booklet introduces the basic concepts of a fishing vessel's stability to fishing vessel crews, vessel owners, and other interested parties in the commercial fishing community."Source: United States Coast Guard
* PDF (4 MB)
Guide to Inspection Regulations for Small Fishing Vessels
"This booklet, based upon the 'Regulations respecting the Construction and inspection of Fishing Vessels not exceeding 24.4 m registered length that do not exceed 150 tons, gross tonnage', is an attempt to present in more readable form much of the material in those Regulations. It does not, however, supersede the 'Regulations'."Source: Transport Canada
* PDF (79 KB)
Small Fishing Vessel Safety Manual
"The Masters or Operators of all fishing vessels have a duty to continuously train their crews for safety. This handbook provides information on safety on small fishing vessels (under 20 metres), and is intended primarily for vessels where the Master or Operator does not hold a certificate of competency or has limited vocational training."Source: Transport Canada
* PDF (2 MB)
Small Fishing Vessels
Information from Transport Canada pertinent to "vessels from 0 to 150 Gross Tons, not exceeding 24.4 metres used in Commercial Fishing or a vessel, other than a sailing ship, that takes on its load at sea from a vessel, which is engaged in catching or transporting living resources of the sea including fish and marine vegetation."Source: Transport Canada
* HTML
Commercial Fishing - Traumatic Occupational Injury
"The following tables contain links to fatality investigation reports of commercial fishing incidents that resulted in the deaths of workers."Source: NIOSH (National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety)
* HTML
Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Safety Reference Guide
"This guide summarizes Federal Regulations applicable to U.S. uninspected commercial fishing vessels. This class includes vessels, which are engaged in activities pursuant to the harvesting or processing of fish for commercial purposes. Also included in this category are fish tender vessels that transport, store, refrigerate, or provide supplies to the commercial fishing industry, and fish processing vessels."Source: Marine Exchange of Alaska
* HTML
North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners' Association Vessel Safety Program
Contains links to training materials for sale, as well as crew safety training courses.Source: NPFVOA
* NPFVOA Vessel Safety Program web site
Deck Safety for Crab Fishermen
"The goal of this booklet is to share ideas for safety improvements that fishermen can make to reduce injuries on their boats, increase productivity and reduce downtime ... We started this project with a thorough review of injury data involving crab fishermen, so we would know where to focus our attention. We found that most of the injuries on crab boats were related to the pot launcher, bait chopper, and slips or falls."Source: Jensen Maritime Consultants, Inc.
* PDF (606 KB)
Fishing Boat Safety
"Commercial fishing is still a dangerous profession. If you're new to the industry, you should take a number of safety precautions. Read this section carefully; it could save your finger, your hand, or even your life."Source: Jobmonkey.com
* HTML
Use of Electrical Tools on Board Fishing Vessels
"A deckhand died on a fishing vessel in March 2000. The deckhand was using a 240-volt portable angle grinder to modify a steel stabiliser board on the rear deck of a prawn trawler."Source: Department of Consumer and Employment Protection, Western Australia
* PDF (37 KB)
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