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Fishing Industry Potential Hazards: How to reduce Risk Factors
Believe it or not, Fishing is one of the more dangerous professions in the Greater New England area. The risk of an accident is 2.4 times greater in the fisheries sector than the average areas of industry.
Health hazards on fishing vessels:
The following are just some of the health hazards facing workers on board small fishing vessels.
Noise
Loud machinery noise is common on board fishing vessels. Additional methods of decreasing workers’ exposure to noise include:
- Introducing engineering controls
- Fitting silencers to air exhausts
- Blocking the path of noise from source to worker
- Changing work patterns
- Maintaining plant and equipment.
Stress and psychosocial issues:
Work-related stress occurs when the demands of the work environment exceed the workers’ ability to cope with (or control) them. Work-related stress can lead to many health problems. Furthermore, symptoms of work-related stress may lead to excessive use of:
Work-related stress is an organizational problem, not an individual weakness, and the main causes of stress need to be identified and reduced. Better work planning and living conditions on board the vessel can reduce the risk of stress-related health problems.
Musculoskeletal disorders:
Manual handling involves the movement of heavy loads by hand or bodily force, and should be avoided whenever possible. While it may not be possible to avoid manual labor altogether, there are ways to reduce the risk of injury:
- Improving the workplace design so that less movement is needed
- Changing the load to make it lighter, or easier to hold;
- Training workers in good practices and the use of good handling techniques.
Work-related upper limb disorders:
WRULDS arise mainly from performing repetitive actions. Reduce the risk of injuries by:
- Redesigning the work station;
- Maintaining work equipment;
- Managing work patterns so that workers have regular breaks;
- Training workers in good techniques.
Danger of infections:
Injuries caused by fish bones, scales or stingers oftentimes become infected. Follow proper first-aid procedures to minimize the risk of complications.
Boating Accident / Massachusetts Boating Injury Information
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