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8 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Pages 142-156

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From page 142...
... Greater federal involvement will be required to bring all safety measures used into a cohesive and effective program. Near-term implementation of basic safety measures is feasible by modestly expanding or building on existing resources and coordinating efforts by federal and state governments, fishery management councils, fisheries commissions, industry, and interested third parties in the administration process.
From page 143...
... A "total concept" integrated program would include: . goals and objectives set to achieve improvements in safety nationwide, but refined to take into account regional variations in exposure to hazards, operating and working conditions, safety performance, and other relevant factors; · a data base sufficient to identify problems, evaluate improvement alternatives, and monitor results; · standards of performance, both of vessels and of personnel, established with the aim of meeting safety objectives while at the same time improving the quality and potential productivity of the nation's fishing fleets; · means to achieve and maintain these standards, e.g., training programs and equipment research and development; · means to monitor and enforce the standards and regulations, e.g., operator licensing and vessel inspection; and · a deliberate methodology to evaluate program effectiveness and progressively introduce adjustments as needed.
From page 144...
... Strong, central leadership underwritten with sufficient resources to sustain long-term momentum is needed to provide an effective forum for addressing safety on an ongoing basis and to implement and administer a comprehensive, integrated safety program. RECOMMENDATION Establish Federal Leadership The Department of Transportation, acting through the Coast Guard, should lead a coordinated national effort to improve safety within the commercial fishing industry.
From page 145...
... RECOMMENDATION Upgrade Safety Administration The Coast Guard should upgrade the capability to administer an integrated safety program. The Coast Guard should: · identify, catalog, and establish communication with pertinent agencies, associations, groups, and individuals, both in government and in industry, at federal, regional, state, and local levels, in order to determine their respective current capabilities and future potential to function as part of a nationwide safety infrastructure network to assist in the development and conduct of the program; · evaluate its maritime law enforcement program, including boardings and other compliance activities, to determine whether, to what extent, and how most effectively this program might be employed
From page 146...
... The Coast Guard's Marine Accident Report Form, CG-2692, should be modified to include information on the fishery and activity within the fishery in which a commercial fishing industry vessel was engaged; · coordinate with OSHA, NOAA, state offices maintaining vital statistics and casualty data, and the commercial fishing and marine insurance industries, within their functional areas of responsibilities, to further develop and integrate data on commercial fishing industry vessel casualties, fatalities, and injuries; · upgrade existing federal and state vessel-registration programs to develop a comprehensive national data base encompassing all commercial fishing industry vessels for regulatory tracking purposes and to improve future analytic capabilities. The data should provide a basic record of vessel usage, details of the vessel's physical characteristics, and the nature of its employment; coordinate with NOAA and state agencies maintaining fishery license or permit data to develop a comprehensive national data base encompassing all fishermen to provide a basic record of the population at risk and for the purpose of improving analytical capabilities.
From page 147...
... Fishing Industry Vessels Overall vessel fitness for service needs to be improved. The high incidence of breakdowns and casualties associated with material failure is indicative of widespread deficiencies throughout the national fishing fleet.
From page 148...
... o o o o o o 23 Require manufacturers to provide installation, o maintenance, and use instructions 24 Develop and require carriage of fishing industry-specific survival equipment 25 Prohibit use of survival equipment that is not Coast Guard-approved EXTERNAL INFLUENCES ALTERNATIVES x x x o o 26 Establish flexible season openings 27 Establish a voting position for a marine safety o organization on each fishery management council 28 Expand safety emphasis of fishery management plans 29 Require insurance coverage 30 Expand fishing-industry-specific weather services o o Primary applicability: x - vessels; o - personnel; ~ - vessels and personnel; Boldface - specifically addressed in CFIVSA x x o o .
From page 149...
... The importance of introducing industrial safety measures common in other industries will grow as more of these vessels join the fishing fleet. RECOMMENDATION Establish Vessel and Equipment Standards The Coast Guard should establish minimum standards for vessel design, construction or conversion, arrangements, materials, and stability and should establish or expand carriage and maintenance requirements for navigation, communication, fire-fighting, and lifesaving equipment.
From page 150...
... fishing fleet. RECOMMENDATION Improve Safety ir' the Workplace The Coast Guard, in concert with OSHA, should research ways in which occupational safety in the marine environment could be improved for activities of an industrial nature aboard fishing industry vessels.
From page 151...
... RECOMMENDATION improve Emergency Preparedness The Coast Guard should immediately establish regulations requiring basic emergency preparations by all personnel aboard fishing industry vessels. The regulations should mandate onboard safety orientation, instructions, and emergency drills.
From page 152...
... The Coast Guard, NOAA, and fishing industry leaders should encourage use of existing training opportunities to acquire basic knowledge and skills. RECOMMENDATION Require Professional Competency The Coast Guard should establish and administer regulations requiring that each fisherman, vessel operator, or individual in charge acquires the fundamental skills associated with his or her role aboard fishing industry vessels, as follows: · The Coast Guard should establish a certification program to provide a means for each fisherman to establish his or her basic qualifications for employment in the industry by meeting criteria tailored for the industry, such as time in service, attendance at educational or training courses, or demonstrations of competence.
From page 153...
... RECOMMENDATION improve Use and Maintenance Instructions for Survival Equipment The Coast Guard should require that each item of Coast Guardapproved, special-purpose survival equipment be accompanied by adequate instructional material, including audiovisual aids, demonstrating correct use and maintenance to assist fishermen in improving the readiness of survival equipment and their ability to effectively employ this equipment in survival settings. RECOMMENDATION Improve Special-Purpose Survival Equipment The Coast Guard should, in consultation with the commercial fishing industry, identify special-purpose equipment specifically designed for use aboard fishing vessels that is needed to increase the likelihood that fishermen will survive falls overboard or sudden loss of their vessel, develop standards for this equipment, and develop prototype equipment if necessary to bring this equipment to market.
From page 154...
... RECOMMENDATION increase Atter'hon to Safety as an Element of Fisheries Management The Secretary of Transportation and the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere should petition Congress to establish a Coast Guard flag officer as a voting member on each of the fishery management councils and to add safety considerations to national standards stated in the Magnuson Fisheries Conservation and Management Act for the express purpose of establishing safety as an equal consideration with other factors in fisheries management decision making. This recommendation corresponds to alternatives 26 through 28.
From page 155...
... This recommendation corresponds to alternative 30. SUMMARY The recommendations propose a single, integrated program for safety improvement under Department of Transportation leadership that would begin immediately by expanding existing measures and drawing on the existing safety infrastructure and resources.
From page 156...
... Owners and operators should be provided the opportunity through improved safety performance to avoid the more extreme, costly alternatives, such as a full vessel inspection requirement. If, however, the less rigorous measures do not achieve the desired objectives in a reasonable period, the safety program should be stepped up over the long term until the desired level of performance is achieved.


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