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WorkSafeBC

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Initiatives for Fishing

Education Presentations by WorkSafeBC Officers

Currently, WorkSafeBC safety and hygiene officers are available to conduct presentations on a variety of fishing industry issues such as:

  • Vessel Stability Models - see below for more information on this topic
  • Conducting Emergency Drills
  • The Effects of Cold Water Immersion

Other presentations can be developed as the need arises. For more information contact your local WorkSafeBC office and ask to speak to an officer who works with the fishing industry.

Vessel Stability Models

WorkSafeBC has several sets of model boats, based on the work of naval architect, John Womack to demonstrate how gear type changes and other factors such as free surface can affect fishing vessel stability. WCB safety and hygiene officers will use the wooden boats to demonstrate what vessel stability, or the lack of it, means for fishing vessels. Arrange for a local, hands-on demonstration by calling your local WorkSafeBC office and ask to speak to a safety or hygiene officer who works with the fishing industry.

Fish Safe Industry Advisory Committee

The Fish Safe Industry Advisory committee first met in May 2000. The Committee, representing all facets of the fishing industry, meets four to six times a year to consult and liaise with the WCB on a range of issues, including health and safety in the fishing industry, and compensation and assessments.

The Advisory Committee is co-chaired by Bruce Logan, UFAWU-CAW and Gina Johansen, BC Seafood Alliance.

The committee is made up of fishermen, fish buyers, industry associations and organizations. Industry members interested in participating the in committee should contact Bruce Logan at 604 519-3630 or Gina Johansen at 604 261-9700.

Fish Safe - BC Seafood Alliance

WorkSafeBC is funding the Fishing Industry Safety Coordinator Project by allocating funds through additional assessments applied to the fishing industry classification units.

The Fishing Industry Safety Coordinator/Fish Safe position was created to help fishermen solve health and safety issues. Gina Johansen is the coordinator and brings over 30 years of experience in the seafood industry to the position.

Gina is currently working on some practical initiatives to raise awareness and generate preventive activity by vessel owners, skippers and crew members. Here is one example:

The FISH SAFE -- Fishing Industry Safety Series on video is now available. Listen to fishermen and their families share their stories of loss and survival and how the fishing industry is taking the initiative to create a new safety culture. The Safety Series includes 4 separate modules that will be distributed to BC fishermen, fishing processors, ship builders, repair yards, architects and everyone who can affect the safety of a vessel. Each module is approximately 10 minutes long and can be used to enhance existing training courses or as a primary tool for developing fishing safety specific courses. The series will be available in both video and DVD format so that all vessel masters will have the opportunity to view the video with their crew prior to sailing and at every opportunity on board and at sea. Fishermen are encouraged to take the series home to share it with their families to reinforce why safety at sea is so important.

For more information contact:
Gina Johansen, Fishing Industry Safety Coordinator
Phone: 604 261-9700
Email:

Marine Action Group (MAG)

The Marine Action Group is an inter-agency, west coast initiative to enhance and promote safety awareness in the marine community.

At present the agencies involved include Transport Canada Marine Safety (TCMS); Transportation Safety Board (TSB); Workers' Compensation (WCB); Department of Fisheries & Oceans (DFO); Canadian Coast Guard (CCG), and the BC Marine Community. The group works in a collaborative manner to promote safety awareness, provide safety education and foster safe operating practices within the marine community, including their families.

Contact Information

Safety in Focus

Safety in Focus is a monthly column in Fisherman Life Magazine.

The following is a series of articles by Harvey Linton:

2008
2007

Memorandum of Understanding between WorkSafeBC and the Department of Fisheries and Oceans

"The purpose of this document is to record and communicate to the officers responsible for the administration and enforcement of these regulations, the arrangements that have been made between the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (Pacific Region)("DFO") and WorkSafeBC (the "Workers' Compensation Board of British Columbia") for the administration and enforcement of occupational health and safety regulations for commercial fishing vessels."
*PDF (199 KB)

Memorandum of Understanding between WorkSafeBC and Transport Canada

"The purpose of this MOU is to establish a joint administrative agreement between WorkSafeBC (the "Workers' Compensation Board of BC") and TC to facilitate the fulfillment of their jurisdictional authorities and responsibilities ..."
*PDF (262 KB)

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