A safety orientation can help turn crewmembers from liabilities to assets in the event of an emergency.
A safety orientation for every person who boards a vessel that leaves the dock is a foundational part of lowering risk in fishing. Take the case of the fishing vessel that capsized in the middle of the night, for instance.
As the vessel rolled, the captain ran out on deck to find a crewmember hanging onto some heavy gear in the stern as the vessel was healing over. The captain yelled at him to grab the EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon), but the crewmember had to be told where the EPIRB was located.
Soon, the whole crew was tossed into the water. Fortunately, the life raft inflated automatically.
The crewmember was able to get to the EPIRB but he unknowingly turned the EPIRB switch to the “disable” position and threw it in the water before getting into the raft. The disabled EPIRB drifted away, unseen into the night.
They were hundreds of miles into their trip before the capsize and no one ever told the new crewmember where the EPIRB was stored or how to operate it. Since no emergency signal was transmitted, the crew floated offshore for days before they were all rescued.
An orientation is also a good idea for the following reasons:
- As the vessel operator, in an emergency you will have too much to do if you are the only person who knows where the emergency gear is stored and how to use it.
- If your crew knows how to use the safety/emergency equipment, the gear will be used more effectively.
- An orientation will decrease panic since crew will be able have familiarity with the vessel.
- It will make the crew more aware of risks.
- It will help the crew work on the problem in a more coordinated and effective fashion.
- It builds confidence and competency among the crew.
- For documented commercial fishing vessels beyond the federal Boundary Line (46 CFR Part 7) or with more than 16 people onboard, the safety orientation is a requirement and it is a good maritime practice for any vessel operator.
As a vessel operator you’re probably very familiar with your own vessel. For your recently acquired crew, however, it’s all new territory. So take them on a tour of their new surroundings and point out safety gear use and emergency procedures.
No time for that? In the off season make of video of what you want to cover in a safety orientation. Narrate the video to add details. Make sure that when new crew come onboard they view the video.
After the viewing, ask the crewmember questions to make sure they watched the video and understood. However, a more personalized safety orientation will be more current and gives new crew a chance to ask questions.
Be sure to point out high risk areas such as the bow’s anchor winch, blind spots where crew can’t be seen, snag hazards, areas with open hatches at times, slip and fall hazards, places where work is being done, ladder safety, fire hazards, rotating equipment risk and stability concerns like keeping freeing ports open and watertight doors closed.
What to cover in a safety orientation may depend on the type of fishery, vessel size, number of crew, crew tasks and experience. A basic orientation should include the following:
Vessel Layout:
- Engine on/off switch, steering, autopilot.
- Location of function of shut off/on valves and what not to do.
- Alarms, what they mean, need to report inoperative alarms and fire detection systems.
- Entrapment areas, exit routes.
- Other hazards on deck, machinery.
Safety and Survival Gear:
- Immersion suit/PFD: location, sizes, care, donning procedure.
- Survival craft: location, function, deployment, repacking date.
- EPIRB: location, expiration dates, function, deployment.
- Radio: Location of “on” switch, channels used, function(s), how to make distress call.
- Electronic position fixing devices: function, how to read/find location.
- Visual distress signals: location, function and use.
- Fire extinguishers: location, fire type, how to use, what not to do.
- Other gear: location and use of line thrower, crew overboard recovery system, first aid kit.
Vessel Policies:
- Drug and alcohol policy.
- Placards: Report all injuries, malfunctions.
- Crew contract.
Station Bill & Emergency Instructions (46 CFR 28.265):
- Responsibilities of crew during specific emergencies (Station Bill).
- What to bring to emergency to accomplish tasks.
- Recognize emergency signals and review Emergency Instructions.
- Anchoring instructions and unintentional flooding. crossing bars, rough weather procedures.
A copy of the required emergency Instruction booklet as per 46 CFR 28.265 can be found on AMSEA’s website at www.amsea.org/store.
Customize the orientation to your own vessel’s layout and needs. After the orientation, be sure to have crew sign a safety orientation log and date it.
Don’t assume crew will know what to do in an emergency. Conduct monthly hands-on emergency drills. Research on emergencies demonstrates the most important element in surviving is the person’s initial action and their training.
Training on your vessel should begin once any new person steps onboard. Given a safety orientation, the new crewmember is in a position to be an asset in an emergency, instead of a liability.
The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA) has a mission is to reduce injury and death in the marine and freshwater environment through education and training provided by a network of marine safety instructors. The Sitka, Alaska-based organization has been offering marine safety training to commercial fishermen and thousands of other mariners since 1985.
More information on marine safety topics can be found at www.amsea.org