S.
M. Tweed
NIOSH Education and Information Division
Commercial
fishing is one of the nation's most dangerous occupations.
The need for safety training programs and adoption of improved
safety procedures led to passage of the Vessel Safety Act
of 1988 and adoption of Coast Guard Commercial Fishing Vessel
Regulations (46 CFR Part 28).
New
Jersey fishermen have had a poor record of participation in
voluntary education programs. Fishing schedule conflicts and
lack of federal standards have often been cited as the reason
for their non-participation. The new Federal regulations addressed
these concerns and established standards and a timetable for
their adoption. These standards included safety gear specific
for vessel and fishing activity, crew member training, documented
safety drills and vessel stability tests.
These
mandated requirements provided an opportunity for New Jersey
Sea Grant to respond to the educational needs of the industry.
Personal contacts and presentations to fishermen groups were
used to alert the industry to federal requirements. Educational
programs to meet the industry's needs were coordinated with
other Sea Grant programs, Coast Guard personnel and gear manufacturers.
Programs included safety training presentations, preparation
and dissemination of fact sheets, newsletter articles, computer
identification of safety equipment and community involvement
in training programs. Over 250 fishermen participated in programs
and 53 received the required CPR and First Aid training.
Sea
Grant Agents are attempting to coordinate the training necessary
for the next level of compliance that will require onboard
drills of safety gear and procedures by September, 1994.
Disclaimer
and Reproduction Information: Information in NASD does not represent
NIOSH policy. Information included in NASD appears by permission
of the author and/or copyright holder. More
NASD Review: 04/2002
This
research abstract was extracted from a portion of the proceedings
of "Agricultural Safety and Health: Detection, Prevention and
Intervention," a conference presented by the Ohio State University
and the Ohio Department of Health, sponsored by the Centers
for Disease Control/National Institute for Occupational Safety
and Health.
S.
M. Tweed, Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cape May County,
Cape May Court House, NJ.
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