Have you fished commercially or professionally in the last year? If so, then please take this survey on your personality and habits of commercial fishermen wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) while working at sea.
This study is conducted by Jennifer Pickett and Joeri Hofmans of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. This survey will take approximately 15 minutes.
The aim of this questionnaire is to better understand a bit about you and the reasons why commercial/professional fishermen do or do not wear a PFD while on deck. The survey is anonymous and participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time without giving any reasons. I appreciate your honest answers! Stay safe and good fishing. You can email her here if you would like more information.
The difference that wearing a suitable lifejacket or PFD can make to survival and preventing death in the case of falling overboard was brought home only to vividly last month when a crew-member from a Brixham based beam trawler went over the side, at might, in heavy seas.
Remember, this winchman said he had been rescuing fishermen from the sea for over 20 years but this was the first time the casualty was live - thanks to him wearing a lifejacket.
"This is an incredible rescue story. We got the call to help just 5 minutes after the fisherman had fallen overboard. Despite horrendous weather conditions on scene with winds in excess of 60 knots, we were preparing ourselves for an extensive search and rescue operation. The fishing crew had done all the right things and even from a distance we quickly spotted the smoke marker and the life ring they had released.
"The fisherman was spotted by his crew about 40m on the starboard side of his fishing vessel, some 400m away from smoke marker position.
"We flew towards that position and saw the casualty immediately as he was wearing a reflective life jacket. We lowered our winchman into the water in very rough conditions and conducted a double winch recovery which only took about 2 minutes.
"Once on board we flew straight to Derriford Hospital and handed him over to AandE department, where we have now heard that he's doing well and in good spirits".
"I’ve been doing search and rescue for nearly 20 years and Reegan was the first fisherman I’ve taken out of the water who was conscious and alive, but he was also the first fisherman I took out of the water wearing a lifejacket." Powerful words from Winchman ‘Spike’ Hughes
Dear participant, Have you fished commercially or professionally in the last year? Then please take this survey on your personality and habits of commercial fishermen wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) while working at sea. This study is conducted by Jennifer Pickett and Joeri Hofmans of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. This survey will take approximately 15 minutes. The goal of this questionnaire is to better understand a bit about you and the reasons why commercial/professional fishermen do or do not wear a PFD while on deck. The survey is anonymous and participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time without giving any reasons. I appreciate your honest answers! Stay safe and good fishing. https://vubpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a3nMYjZwFH8ELg9
With the introduction of new safety standards introduced by the MCA on January 1st this year this survey comes at a timely moment. The new legislation includes the necessity for all fishermen to wear a PFD while working on the deck unless it has been specifically identified as not necessary - and written into the vessel's risk assessment
Dear participant, Have you fished commercially or professionally in the last year? Then please take this survey on your thoughts and habits as a commercial fishermen wearing personal flotation devices (PFDs) while working at sea. This study is conducted by Jennifer Pickett and Joeri Hofmans of Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium. This survey will take approximately 12 minutes.
The goal of this questionnaire is to better understand a bit about you and the reasons why commercial/professional fishermen do or do not wear a PFD while on deck. The survey is anonymous and participation is voluntary and you may stop at any time without giving any reasons. I appreciate your honest answers! Stay safe & good fishing.
The MCA has published a new set of COMPULSORY provisions for the wearing of PFDs (Personal Flotation Device) aboard fishing vessels. here is a summary of the provision contained in the M Notice.
Where risks cannot be reduced to a safe level by other measures, personal protective
equipment must be provided and used.
Statistics show that there is a significant risk of fishermen working on open decks
falling overboard.
Following risk assessment, measures should be established to reduce the risk of
fishermen falling overboard wherever practicable. MGN 571(F) gives guidance on
preventing man overboard on fishing vessels.
MCA will expect to see a record of any risk assessment and measures put in place.
From the date of publication of this Notice, failure to ensure the provision and wearing
of PFDs and/or fall restraint harnesses by all fishermen working where there is a risk
of falling overboard will be considered by the MCA to be a breach of health and safety
legislation.
The only exception to this is where the fishing vessel owner can demonstrate, through
a documented risk assessment, that the risk of falling overboard has been eliminated
by other measures.
