Guidelines for Health and Safety on Board Small Fishing Boats

When someone is going to work on hydraulic, fuel, water and electrical systems:

The system must be isolated before work begins, and
cannot be restarted until work has finished

Isolating the system makes it safer to work on. If the system is isolated there is a much lower chance that:

• A person is electrocuted.
• Oil or fuel spills into the sea.
• A fire starts.
• Equipment could be damaged.

It is the skipper’s responsibility to make sure that systems are isolated. Legally, this responsibility cannot be delegated to contractors. It is always skipper who is responsible for the safety of all workers on board the vessel.

If there is an environmental incident (eg: a fuel spill), particularly one that could have been avoided by isolation, the owner and skippers as well as the contractor can all be found responsible.

!   Action points

Turn the supply off to the equipment that is going to be maintained. You can:

1. Put a piece of tape across it and write “Do Not Turn On” and your name on it.

2. Use a designed tag-out card.

• Before removing any tag to start equipment, check with the person whose name is on the tag or tape that work has been completed and that it is safe to operate.
• Always check yourself that the system looks safe to operate after it has been worked on.
• If a contractor will come on board to do maintenance work when the crew are not there, isolate the system before you leave.