A preliminary study of fishing vessel safety

Abstract

As the public concern regarding safety increases, more and more attention has been directed to fishing vessel safety. This paper discusses some of the major findings in our fishing vessel safety research project. The background to fishing vessel design and operation is highlighted and this is followed by an analysis of the statistical data of fishing vessels drawn from various sources. A formal safety analysis approach is proposed for a generic fishing vessel. An interactive table method is presented to produce an overall ranking for further attention in fishing vessel design and operation. A formal safety assessment approach proposed by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency is also described in the context of its application to a fishing vessel. Conclusions are finally made that the fishing industry lacks a safety culture and that more failure data needs to be collected on an industry basis in order to control risks.