Fishing Vessel Safety Blueprint for a National Program (1991) / Chapter Skim
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4 THE FISHING VESSELS
4 THE FISHING VESSELS
Pages 73-98
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From page 73... ...
Therefore, understanding the vessel as a complex system of transport, domicile, workplace, and product storehouse and knowing what can happen to or on it are essential to modifying it to improve safety. This chapter focuses on uninspected fishing vessels (see-box, p.
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From page 74... ...
The nature and causes of vessel-related safety problems are discussed, along with safety-improvement alternatives. The analysis includes uninspected fishing industry vessels with combined catching and processing capabilities, but it also applies to fish tender vessels and nonindustrial components of processing vessels.
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From page 75... ...
and search and rescue (SAR) data indicate that maintenance deficiencies involving hulls and fittings, propulsion equipment, and other systems affect all types of uninspected fishing vessels.
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From page 76... ...
boarding green seas in heavy weather, thereby damaging or overwhelming closures or hatches on the weather deck (Dahle and Weerasekera, 1989; NTSB, 1987; National Fisherman Yearbook, 1982) , or in the case of open construction swamping a vessel even in less severe conditions; · in fair weather, shipping water through open, unattended machinery space doors, deck hatchways, or hull openings when the vessel is heeled over as the result of lifting an unexpectedly full net, snagging a trawl on the bottom, shifting cargo, the free surface effect of liquid in tanks or water on deck, or improper loading (Nalder, 1990; Dahle and Weerasekera, 1989; NTSB, 1987; National Fisherman Yearbook, 1982~; neglecting minor hull leaks that open up in heavy weather and let water in beyond the capacity of the bilge pump (NTSB, 1987; Lesh, 19821; · failing to detect hull leaks in unattended compartments with no alarm systems or one that is disabled or fails (NTSB, 1987; Taylor, 1985; Lesh, 19821;
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From page 77... ...
Competent design and construction followed by periodic maintenance, presail and underway tests of equipment and alarm systems, and routine underway checks of unattended spaces and machinery are well-established, effective ways to prevent such scenarios. Although few fishing vessels can survive engine room or lazarette flooding when loaded with fish, engineering measures can prevent sinking.
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From page 78... ...
Vessel size contributes to capsizing as well. A small vessel, despite good seamanship and material condition, can be more readily overwhelmed by heavy sea conditions (Canadian Coast Guard [CCG]
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From page 79... ...
Thus, knowing a vessel's capabilities including stability is critical to safe operation. Although stability criteria for fishing vessels less than 79 feet long are not clearly defined, many good design features can be incorporated.
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From page 80... ...
. There is nothing unique to the engineering, technical, or operational aspects of commercial fishing that precludes adapting design, construction, operating, safety, and fire-fighting measures and techniques used for other types of commercial vessels (see USCG, 1986b; MARAD, 1979; Taylor, 1985~.
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From page 81... ...
There are significant regional variations in reported cases of material failures; 43 percent of all casualties to documented fishing industry vessels in the North Atlantic and 51 percent along the West Coast were recorded as material failures. About 20 percent was normal in other regions.
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From page 82... ...
Human factors engineering (HFE) resource materials are available, but have not been evaluated for use in the commercial fishing industry.
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From page 83... ...
Data are not available concerning the degree to which such items are used in the workplace. The nature of personal injuries especially to extremities suggests a need for systematic, industrywide use of safety equipment and in-depth consideration of workplace safety.
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From page 84... ...
. Fishing Industry Perspectives on Vessel-Related Casualties The committee consulted with a broad cross section of the fishing industry through the regional assessments it commissioned to obtain the industry's perception of vessel casualties and causes.
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From page 85... ...
. Technical guidelines for designing, constructing, and outfitting seaworthy vessels are documented in Coast Guard publications, classification society guidelines, and similar sources (American Bureau of Shipping [ABSi, 1989; USCG, 1986b; ASTM, 19881.
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From page 86... ...
The nature and numbers of vessel losses, casualties, and associated accident reports implicate lack of design and poor construction in the sequence of events leading to some accidents. Furthermore, the fact that over 3,100 fishing vessels require assistance from the Coast Guard each year, 60 percent of them disabled and adrift, suggests that engineering practices are inadequate or not properly applied to the fishing industry.
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From page 87... ...
This and the inshore nature of small-vessel operations may be one reason fewer vessel total losses and fatalities are recorded for small, state-numbered commercial fishing vessels. The Coast Guard has proposed expanding requirements for engineering systems and equipment for all uninspected fishing vessels under the CFIVSA.
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From page 88... ...
Only a nominal number of fishing vessels are classed, although some have gone through intermediate steps. Some larger fishing vessels are designed to class standards, even though they may not be officially classed.
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From page 89... ...
In the near term, surveyors with technical experience relevant to fishing vessels are far fewer than are needed to replace Coast Guard compliance measures (Federal Register, 1990; Expert, 1990~. Another option is periodic boatyard maintenance, conducted where technical support may be available.
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From page 90... ...
Improving Vessel Fitness for Service Except for some basic federal regulatory requirements, there are no design, construction, outfitting, or maintenance standards for uninspected fishing industry vessels. This is expected to change as proposed federal regulations expand outfitting requirements for both state-numbered and documented fishing vessels.
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From page 91... ...
These standards could be adapted from guidelines published by IMO or existing voluntary guidelines (e.g., Coast Guard Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 5-86 fUSCG, 1986b] , American Bureau of Shipping Guide for Building and Classing Fishing Vessels LABS, 1989]
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From page 92... ...
Alternative 7: Continue Compliance Examinations This alternative, a standard Coast Guard practice, usually occurs while a vessel is fishing or in transit. Coast Guard compliance examinations constitute the principal method for exposing uninspected vessels to federal checks for
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From page 93... ...
Principal issues are whether compliance examinations could be used to motivate universal adherence to upgraded safety regulations, and to what degree. The committee's assessment of Coast Guard compliance examinations is in Appendix F
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From page 94... ...
Vessels subject to the regulations cannot be operated unless load lines have been assigned. This alternative would expand load-line requirements to fish tenders and processors currently grandfathered under existing law and to fishing vessels, where practical, to take advantage of annual inspections to ensure hull integrity and quality and water- and weathertight closures.
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From page 95... ...
Should the Coast Guard exercise exclusive authority for ensuring the fitness of state-numbered commercial fishing vessels operating on federal waters? The fishing industry is a hybrid situation.
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From page 96... ...
Additional implementation issues include modifying Coast Guard boarding policy to discontinue underway safety checks, unless there are apparent deficiencies, and use of neutral third parties or state infrastructures. The Coast Guard is already considering some of these options (Federal Register, 19901.
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From page 97... ...
The committee believes that this approach is worthy of consideration, but detailed examination is beyond the scope of this study. However, alternatives 8 through 12, as well as the Coast Guard's authority under the CFIVSA to terminate operation of "unsafe" vessels, have varying potential to force removal of unseaworthy vessels from service without government compensation.
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From page 98... ...
Standard practices for human engineering design are published for marine systems and equipment, but have not been adapted or applied in the fishing industry. However, there are no universal mechanisms or procedures in place designed to ensure production, maintenance, or inspection of quality fishing vessels well suited for their intended service.
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