A recent report by CDC reveals that in the U.S., the commercial fishing industry has the highest rate of occupational fatality. While a majority of these deaths are by drowning, 10% of fatalities occurred while onboard fishing vessels, most often due to entanglement in machinery.
In the Gulf of Mexico, entanglements in deck winches are especially common, resulting in amputation, permanent disabilities, and occasionally death. According to CDC, the best way to prevent such incidents would be to install and use hydraulic devices to guide cables so that workers won’t have to manually guide cables. However, this solution proves costly and likely cannot be adopted widely due to financial limitations.
The agency has identified the following inexpensive alternatives for preventing injury aboard fishing vessels:
- To reduce entanglement injury, strong passive guarding can be attached around the main winch drum.
- Workers can gain a greater distance from the cable by welding extensions onto cable guides.
- Crew members should work in groups and supervise each other rather than working alone on deck.
- Training for commercial fishing should be altered to include first-aid practices for serious injuries and procedures for stopping the winch during an emergency.