Guidelines for Health and Safety on Board Small Fishing Boats

There is no harsher natural environment than the sea (there are very few industries where people are required to work heavy machinery on a platform that is continually moving and wet). These factors make it one of the most physically demanding and dangerous occupations. Sadly, the accident statistics support this fact.

In this section you will find out about the emergency procedures and emergency equipment that should be on every vessel.

The section covers what to do to prevent emergencies:

• If there is a fire on board
• When someone falls overboard
• When someone is injured on board
• If there is a flood on board
• If you have to abandon ship
• If you have to make a MAYDAY call

Regular emergency drills will help all crew members to know what to do if something goes wrong.

Preventing emergencies

Many accidents and injuries can be avoided, or their effects reduced through the professionalism of the vessels’ management and crew.

Everyone should do what they can to:

• Keep the vessel in good working condition.
• Do your housekeeping - this means.
• Keep things tidy on deck and below deck
• Know where items should be stored and keep them there
• Secure loose items
• Stow things in the correct containers
• Make sure safety gear is easy to get at, and in excellent condition.
• Report any problems or gear defects to the skipper.

For Skippers:

• Always discuss safety matters with crew. Formal safety committees are not compulsory but good communication on safety matters is.
• Every crew member must be encouraged to give feedback and to report defects.
• Do pre-sailing safety checks every time you sail.
• Follow the Safe Ship Management (SSM) programme on board.
• Encourage the crew to attend First Aid, Fire Fighting, Survival and emergency training for crew.
• Conduct regular safety exercises and discussions while at sea. Practice is essential to be prepared.

Insist on safe working standards at all times

Legal requirements

Maritime Rule Part 23 lists “Operating Procedures & Training designed to cope with emergency situations or prevent such situations occurring”.

The HSE Act requires “ every employer shall take all practical steps to ensure the safety of employees while at work”.

The HSE Act also requires “the participation of employees in processes relating to health and safety”.

Muster Station and Muster List are terms typically associated with larger vessels however they are still relevant to smaller vessels in a basic form.

Muster Stations simply refer to an assembly point that every crew member knows to go to on hearing the vessel’s emergency alarm. It is at this point that people are given details of what type of emergency exists and then carry out the action required of them. The Muster Station on a small fishing vessel is normally simply the in, or behind, the Wheelhouse.

A Muster List is simply an emergency duties list and is displayed in a prominent position on a vessel detailing what duties each crew member has in the event of an emergency. Typically these should be displayed where they will see it often.

Everyone should:
Know and follow the muster procedures

For skippers:

Things you must do.

• Place a Muster List in a prominent position on the vessel.
• An example for a small fishing vessel is shown on this link.

Other things you should do to keep your crew “up to speed”

• Have drills or practices when they are not expected.
• Change crew duties around between trips so they become familiar with all duties and they get into the habit of checking the Muster List.
• Put a copy of the Muster List in the Mess or on the back of the toilet door where the crew will tend to read it.
• Always initiate the drill with the actual alarm. Emergency situations or

Legal requirements

All vessels must have a Muster List. Refer Section 23.18 Maritime Rules.

The crew are the only people who can deal with an emergency at sea. Emergencies will be rare if the vessel is well maintained and well operated. As these situations don’t occur often it is difficult for the crew to react quickly when they do, unless they have practised (having conducted regular training exercises)!

Emergency training is practising safety drills on board the vessel while it is at sea. Ideally these are done at any time, but is easier when the vessel is not fishing but on the way to, between or from the fishing grounds.

This exercising, or practising, develops familiarity. Familiarity saves time.

In an emergency at sea you don’t have time to think !

Practice the drills and you will react quickly in a real emergency.

For skippers:

Things you must do on board

• Develop and use a training exercise programme on board.
• Practice all drills regularly and often – even the simple ones.
• Conduct basic Muster Stations and Man-Overboard drills at the earliest opportunity after leaving port each trip, especially if new crew members are on board.
• You must keep a record of all training and exercises that you undertake. A simple matrix as shown below can be constructed and used for this. Some Safe Ship Management manuals have similar record forms in them.

Other things you can do to increase your survival odds.

• Never assume everyone remembers or already knows.
• Conduct exercises for different emergency circumstances in different areas of the vessel each time.
• Talk through the use of the emergency gear used during each exercise.
• Never let your crew talk you out of doing an exercise. Yes they have done them before, yes they can be boring, but they must be done!
• Don’t think that you are only a very small crew that you don’t need to worry. If an emergency occurs you will have less people to rely on!
• Use the exercises to check your equipment. Operate hydrant valves to confirm they aren’t seized. Check hoses aren’t perished, Check extinguishers are in date.
• Work through “What if” scenarios with the crew after an exercise. Informally is always the best way on board a smaller vessel.

Legal requirements

• Under the HSE Act Section 13 regulations, employers must ensure staff are trained adequately and receive adequate supervision.

Maritime Rule Part 23 requires most fishing vessels that these guidelines were developed for, to have at least one Fire exercise and one Abandon Ship drill per month. It also requires the skipper of the vessel to ensure crew are familiar with their duties and the use of emergency equipment

• Training & Exercise Record Chart

Training record.

A Training record like that above should be in your SSM Manual.

If you make the effort to do the exercises it just takes a fraction more time to initial and date the record!

Fire on board a vessel at sea (or alongside) is extremely serious. Fire can spread quickly and smoke becomes very intense very quickly. This makes fire fighting harder.

Fires can start anywhere on a vessel. They most often start in the Galley or in the Engine Room.

Check section 2 for more detail about how to fight fires on board.

You can’t share a small vessel with a large fire!

Action Points

• Raise Alarm. Shout “FIRE” or sound the alarm.
• Attempt to put out fire using a portable fire extinguisher.
• Stop all ventilation. Turn off fans.

If unsuccessful:

• Get out and close up the compartment.
• Shut off all power and fuel supplies to compartment on fire (if possible).
• Activate fixed fire extinguishing system (if fitted).
• Close all openings, doors, vents to the compartment. Keep eye out for smoke coming out and block holes so fire is starved of oxygen.
• Protect the life raft from the fire.
• Dampen hot spots on external bulkheads and on the deck above the compartment on fire to stop the spread. Use water sparingly to avoid creating a stability problem due to free surface water.
• Prepare to abandon ship.

Note

• More specific Fire fighting information is in Section 2 of these guidelines.

A crew member can fall into the sea at any time while working on a fishing vessel - not only during rough weather.

The southern ocean waters are cold. A crew member in the water can get hypothermia within minutes.

The person entering in the water may have been unconscious when they fell in, and might not be able to keep their head above the water. If they are not wearing floatation aid, they may sink quickly. So it is important to

Recover the person as fast as you can!

What to do if you hear or see someone fall overboard.

• Immediately throw a floatation device into the water. The best thing to use is a life-ring. If you don’t have a life ring use a lifejacket or anything else within reach that will assist the person stay afloat. At night throw in a light or reflective item as well.
• Raise alarm! Yell “Man overboard”
• Keep pointing at the person in the water.
• Keep an eye on the flotation device and the person in the water and guide the Wheelhouse back to them without taking your eyes off them.
• Carefully manoeuvre the vessel alongside (upwind) of the person.
• Recover the person being careful not to be pulled into the water yourself.
• Get person warm, and conduct CPR if required immediately.
• Radio for assistance if required.

What to do if someone is missing.

• Mark your position and start retracing your track.
• Raise Mayday call immediately so other vessels in area can assist.

Good practices on board.

• Wear a floatation device when you are working on the weather deck. Do this all the time - not just in bad weather
• Ensure life-rings and other safety devices are easy to get to at all times.
• If you are the only one on deck consider wearing a safety line.

For skippers:

• Conduct regular exercises by throwing something into the water to recover.
• Make sure at least two crew know how to manoeuvre the vessel. It may be the skipper in the water.
• Position life rings near the main work areas and near the Wheelhouse.

Don’t become a statistic!

Drowning is the most common cause of death to New Zealand fishermen

Always wear a lifejacket or personal flotation device.

So get up with the play! Be safe!

First Aid refers to the assistance given when a person becomes ill or injured. Often a vessel is days from shore or hours from even receiving help so it is up to the crew to conduct first aid which often results in saving the life of an injured fellow crew member.

Keep your First Aid Kit well maintained and organised in a dry location.

Separate out common-use items (band-aids and hangover cures) so the First Aid Box doesn’t get disturbed.

Key action points when an injury occurs.

• RAISE ALARM!

Patient Unconscious

• Secure the scene. Make sure it is safe for you to attempt to save the victim's life.
• Remember A,B,C!
  • Turn the patient on his side and clear his Airway.
  • Check that the patient is Breathing and conduct Rescue Breathing if required.
  • Check Circulation (Check pulse) and conduct CPR if required.

Patient Badly Cut

• Stem flow of blood by wrapping with any clean bandage or material.
• If an amputation has occurred collect severed section in a clean plastic bag and place “on ice”.
• Treat for shock.

Patient Burnt

• Immerse burnt part of body in cold, fresh water.
• Keep immersed in cold water for at least 20 mins.
• Do not put any medication on burns!
• Wrap in Sterile bandage.
• Treat patient for shock.

Hypothermia

• If a patient has been in the water they will most likely experience hypothermia due to the temperature of New Zealand waters. In which case you need to;
• Get patient into sheltered position.
• Remove wet clothing and put dry clothes or blankets on them.
• Get the patient warm and then stabilise his/her temperature.
• Give them warm or high energy food.

Shock

• If a patient has suffered a moderate or major injury they will suffer from shock. Treat them by doing the following:
• Lie patient on their back with feet at slightly higher level than their head.
• Stay with the patient and keep reassuring them.
• Maintain their body temperature by keeping them warm. But do not over-heat.

Medical Assistance is available via 2182 kHz or on VHF Channel 16.

CARDIO PULMONARY RESUSCITATION

Legal requirements

• Maritime Rule Part 31 requires that a "significant number of seafarers hold first aid or medical training certificates to meet the needs of any reasonably foreseeable medical emergency on board".
• You must report all injuries to Maritime NZ. See Section 22.
• All vessels must have a First Aid Kit onboard. The size depends on the size of vessel and operating area. Refer Maritime Rules Part 50.
• All vessels must have a copy of a St John or Red Cross First Aid manual onboard. Refer Maritime Rules Part 50.

Floods can occur through;

• A collision
• Structural failure.
• A broken service (cooling) pipe.
• A damaged hull fitting or gland.

Flooding affects the stability of your vessel. You need to watch out for accumulation of water and understand the free surface effect of loose water.

Free Surface Effect
When a compartment (eg: Fish hold) has water in it, that water is free to “slop around”. The surface of the water is called a “free surface”, When this water moves to one side, the weight of it moving will oppose the motion of the vessel and can cause it to heal over.

Action Points

• Raise alarm!
• Start pumps.
• If you are the wheelhouse watch-keeper send a radio message to nearby vessels or ashore. After you have done that you can go to assist. Things may deteriorate quickly once you are assisting and you may not get another chance to get a message off.
• Turn vessel towards shallower water or port. Consider beaching the vessel.
• Attempt to stem the flow of water by shutting valves, or blocking hole.
• If pumps are out of action get-out and close compartment.
• Reduce the free surface effect by placing objects in way of the water’s surface. Erect dummy bulkheads using pound boards or fish-bins tied across the compartment.
• Look for holes leaking into adjoining compartments.
• Consider stability effects of flooded compartment. You may need to transfer fuel or counter flood another compartment to get hole out of water.
• Prepare to abandon ship. Remain on the vessel for as long as it is safe to do so!

An emergency situation may be so bad that it is necessary to abandon the vessel in order to save the life of the crew.

It is often a difficult decision that should not be made too early or left too late.

Someone who gets into the liferaft relatively dry, with warm clothing, food and water has a greater chance of survival. If you are dealing with an emergency (fire or flooding) and it seems likely that you will have to abandon ship, the skipper should despatch one crew member to prepare to launch the raft and gather food, water clothing and other things you need.

Action Points

• The order for “Abandon ship” must only be given by the skipper once it is clear that continued presence on the vessel will be a risk to human life.
• If there is time;
• Radio a Mayday call giving vessels position.
• Collect portable radio.
• Collect warm clothing & blankets.
• If possible activate EPIRB and tie to raft or to your person.
Collect food and water.
• Gather extra flares
• Launch liferaft and use Painter line to activate inflation of the raft and pull it to the side of the vessel.

Once everyone is in the raft get it clear of the vessel.

Try to stay as dry as you can when you get into the raft. If you are dry, this helps to prevent the on set of hypothermia.

Once the raft has been cleared as much as possible of water:

• Close all liferaft openings to reduce chill.
• Stream sea anchor to keep raft in vicinity of last known position of vessel.
• If the vessel is still afloat keep clear in case it tips over or a mast falls.
• Erect reflector sheets if fitted.
• Take sea sickness tablets!

If unable to get into the raft dry squeeze the water out of your clothing and bail out as much water as soon as you can.

When there is no time to launch a liferaft

You will have to spend some time in the water until you are rescued or until the liferaft is hydrostatically released.

• Swim clear of the vessel.
• Once clear of vessel conserve energy.
• Keep together and huddle together in water to maximise body warmth and make a bigger object for searchers to find.
• If you are alone, pull your body into your chest as shown below.
• Keep talking to each other.
• Watch out for the liferaft or other floating objects emerging from the water.

For skippers:

Things you have to do during normal operations

• Maritime Rules require that vessels conduct an abandon ship drill once a month”.

Maintenance points to remember.

• Make sure liferafts are stowed properly. Rafts should float free once the hydrostatic release mechanism releases them. The Painter line must be secured to the vessel (via a weak link) so the raft stays close until survivors board it and cut the line.
• Make sure EPIRBS are stowed properly. So they are free to float once the hydrostatic release mechanism releases them.
• Keep all hydrostatic release mechanisms serviced or “in date’.
• Get posters showing deployment of liferaft and put around vessel in prominent positions. The supplier of the vessel’s raft should be willing to provide these to you.
• Keep your liferafts in good condition.
• Ensure the crew know how to up-right a liferaft. Display posters around vessel.

Encourage crew to do a survival course.

MAYDAY CALL Procedure Chart

You will find this notice near the vessels’ VHF radio. A MAYDAY message with this information initiates a response from the Rescue Coordination Centre. They can then contact a range of organisations to get you the help you need.

You should also know the local frequencies of the NZ Coastguard. These are available from your local Coastguard or on their website; www.nzcoastguard.org.nz.

Maritime New Zealand 24hr Emergency No:   0508 472 269

Operating over fishing vessels presents a number of problems for the helicopter pilot. Rescue operations are often conducted in poor weather are extremely dangerous.

Precautions to be aware of when requiring a transfer to helicopter are:

• Select the position where the transfer is to take place. i.e. the position from where an injured person is to be winched up from. This may not necessarily be the largest deck area but will be the best location regarding the proximity of high obstructions (i.e. masts, gantries, derricks etc).
• Clear the deck of any lose bit of debris or equipment that may be sucked up into the helicopters engine.
• On the sighting of the helicopter set off a smoke flare to highlight your location and indicate the wind direction to him.
• The crew on deck should be dressed as brightly as possible. They should wear safety goggles.
• Deck crew should stay out of the way until the helicopter is in position.
• Maintain radio communication with helicopter.
• Never attach anything to the helicopter before the pilot gives his approval to do so.
• Remember the pilot may not be able to see the load. So he may need some guidance.
• If the rescue is to be done at night the pilot will be accustomed to the darkness. Avoid turning on very bright lighting.
• Know the signals to communicate with the helicopter from the deck.