9781422273173

FISHER OVERBOARD!

Commercial fishing comes with a lot of safety risks. Due partly to the long working shifts and chronic fatigue, fishers can make mistakes. Unfortunately, some of those mistakes cost commercial fishers their lives. The most dangerous accident of all is falling overboard. When a crew member falls off a boat, there’s a good chance the other deckhands won’t notice the accident. It’s only later, when the work slows down, that the crew notices that one of their members is missing. By that time, it’s usually too late to save that person unless the water is warm, and they are wearing a personal flotation device (PFD). One big problem with commercial fishers is they don’t usually wear PFD’s. The main reason is that a PFD is big and bulky and interferes with their movement while working, causing even more fatigue than usual. For that reason, some concerned companies have provided more comfortable PFDs that allow more freedom of movement for their employees. However, in all instances of fatalities involving a commercial fisher falling overboard, not one person was wearing a personal flotation device when they fell into the water. Because of that fact, many governmental agencies and other concerned groups are striving to make it a law that commercial fishers must wear a PFD for their safety and protection.

Fishing Careers

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