SAFETY STORIES
Sea Safe will use stories to help our industry members consider how they can stay safe.
We’ll be gathering your stories and experiences on how you keep yourself and your crew safe, what you’ve learned from things that have happened to you and your ideas to keep us innovating to make safety easier. Everything you share is confidential and our ethics approval makes sure it stays that way.
Everyone has a story and many of the stories in our industry are rich with history and experience.
Regulation in our industry requires a lot of time and energy, and sometimes we can overlook how that regulation links to bringing us home safely. At work, we learn from each other, and Sea Safe will help us do more of that.
Soon we’ll launch a simple online tool that makes it easy to ask questions and share your story.
In the meantime, if you’re interested in staying in touch and hearing more, please e-mail people@seafoodindustryaustralia.com.au and we’ll keep you posted.
Digitising safety
What Happened? I was a Safety Officer and encouraged the organisation I worked for to invest in a digitised safety management system (SMS). It took a bit of time to set it up properly, but once the crew got used to using it, they loved it as it became so much easier...
Know your limits
What happened “I work in drug and alcohol testing and was moved by a media article on the death of a fisher, due to alcohol consumption, in the Northern Territory. After having a long drinking session onshore between shifts, a fisher slipped while attempting to jump...
Communication is key
“Sometimes, there are misunderstandings and confusion about who is supposed to be doing what job on a vessel. In my experience, being alert and having good communication is essential to keeping the operation running smoothly, and ensuring everybody on board is safe.”...
Man overboard
What happened? Four fishers were out at sea when one of them fell overboard. Without thinking, a second fisher jumped into the water to help his mate, but he also found himself struggling to get back on the boat. The third fisher, and then the skipper jumped in to try...
Don’t rock the boat
Don’t Rock the Boat "We recently installed a gyro stabiliser on each of our vessels, and although it was a bit expensive, it has reduced the boat rocking by 50%. The crew are now less fatigued by the motion and more energised and efficient.” Since making these...
When the lights go out
When the lights go out When a fisher took a trip to an unfamiliar vessel during the night, he entered the cabin and could not find the light switch. Proceeding in the pitch black of night he didn't notice that the manhole cover had been left open and fell right into...
Watch your fingers!
Watch your fingers! I work as a deckhand where we cast the line, harvest, clean and store the fish we catch. However, one day I was assigned as a puller. As we pulled the line upwards, I was surprised by an incoming fish and wrapped my finger around the line. The line...