This week sadly saw a timely reminder of just how important Health & Safety is on a commercial fishing vessel - and just as important is what to do if something goes wrong.
In this instance a crew member of the well know Newlyn hake netter, Ajax had his hand severely damaged when it became trapped in deck machinery. The Newquay based SAR helicopter arrived at the vessel around 4am and in very challenging weather conditions eventually secured a high-line and diver aboard. The crewman was lifted off and flown straight to Derriford hospital in Plymouth where a team of surgeons worked for 9 solid hours on the crushed fingers.
Ajax skipper Alan Dwan has this to say about all those involved in the incident:
"I decided to put this pics up in a way to say thank you to Valentia Radio, Falmouth Radio, MCA coastguard, Derriford hospital and big thank you to all the NHS doctors and nurses with what they did to save Gary's fingers - from what they were like when we last them aboard the boat is amazing. The doctors said a big say in how much his fingers were saved by the great First Aid giving by his crewmates - leech treatment on fingers now to get blood flowing, operation on Monday again to do skin grafts, but what we saw when he left the boat was all fingers lost, what I saw yesterday is unbelievable, he a strong man very positive and will be fine as he has many friends and family around him"
From Seafish
The Fishing Industry Safety Group* (FISG), a stakeholder group working to improve the safety of fishermen at sea, is conducting market research to gather insight into the best ways of communicating with fishermen. This research will be used to inform future safety campaigns, helping FISG reach as many fishermen as possible as they aim to help improve the safety record of the UK's fishing fleet.
FISG is asking vessel owners, skippers and crew to complete a short survey, which should take no more than seven minutes to complete, sharing their communication preferences - what they listen to, watch and read. The online survey is 100% anonymous and the findings will be used to create a comprehensive view of fishermen's communication preferences.
Any fisherman who completes the survey by 31 December 2018 can choose to provide their contact details and they will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 worth of vouchers for a number of high street and online retailers.
FISG brings together the fishing industry alongside representatives from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Seafish and other stakeholders to discuss the factors affecting fishing safety and identify ways to reduce the number of deaths, injuries and vessel losses.
Simon Potten, Head of Safety and Training at Seafish, said: "We want every fisherman to be aware of what the FISG is doing to help them work safely, whether it's information on the latest safety equipment, guidance on new safe working practices or information on what training opportunities are available to them. FISG works tirelessly to improve fishing safety, but struggles to engage with working fishermen. This research will help us understand where fishermen get their information, so that FISG safety messages can be communicated more effectively in future."
To complete the survey, please click here.
