Preventing fatal winch entanglements in the US Southern shrimp fleet: a research to practice approach

Details

• Personal Author:
  Case SL ; King GW ; Lincoln, Jennifer M. ; Lucas DL ; Teske, Theodore D. ; Woodward CC
• Description:
  During 2000-2011, 35 injuries (8 fatal) involving winches were reported to the Coast Guard in the Southern shrimp fleet. Injuries involving the main winch drums had a higher risk for fatal outcomes compared to injuries involving the winch cathead (RR=7.5; 1.1-53.7). The objective of this study was to design effective solutions to protect deckhands from entanglement hazards posed by winches found on the vessels in the Southern shrimp fleet. Methods: Based on injury characteristics, site visit observations, and input from vessel owners, NIOSH determined that the design and implementation of effective main-winch guarding was a feasible first-step in mitigating the entanglement hazard. Design considerations for stationary guards favor systems that are simple, affordable, durable, unobtrusive, and will not interfere with normal fishing operations. In addition, an auxiliary-stop method was tested to prevent entanglements in try-net winches. Results: Standardized passive guards were designed for three commonly found main winch models. Initial prototype guards have been sea-tested. The design of six additional guards is underway, for a total of three iterations for each winch model identified. These will incorporate features found to be valued by fishermen, will be more efficient, and will reduce the overall cost of fabrication and maintenance. Sea testing of these iterations continues. The auxiliary-stop circuit control prototype system was designed to prevent entanglements in the try-net winch and is currently being sea tested. Discussion: NIOSH has completed initial designs for stationary-winch guards. Through collaborations with shrimper associations and safety groups, the successfully tested winch guard and auxiliary stop designs will be made available to qualified welders and craftsmen to use. This approach has proven effective in preventing other types of winch injuries. Practical applications: Injury epidemiologic methods and industry input are an effective way to identify workplace hazards and to design effective safety interventions to control hazards. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Accident Prevention Accidents Engineering Hazardous Substances Hunting Mortality Occupational Exposure Occupational Health Safety Workplace
• Keywords:
  Accident Prevention Author Keywords: Commercial Fishing Effectiveness Research Engineering Controls Engineering Solution Entanglement Hazards Entanglements Equipment Design Equipment Testing Fishing Fishing Industry Hazard Controls Injuries Injury Prevention Intervention Machine Guarding Mechanical Properties Mortality Data Occupational Hazards Occupational Safety Programs Prevention Through Design PTD Seaman Traumatic Injuries Work Environment Worker Safety Workplace Solutions Workplace Studies

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• ISSN:
  0022-4375
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Alaska ; OSHA Region 10 ; Washington
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  WSD - Western States Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  119-123
• Volume:
  60
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20049157
• Citation:
  J Safety Res 2017 Feb; 60:119-123
• Contact Point Address:
  Jennifer M. Lincoln, Western States Division, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4230 University Drive, Grace Hall - Suite 310, Anchorage, AK 99508, USA
• Email:
  Jxw7@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2017
• NORA Priority Area:
  Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Source Full Name:
  Journal of Safety Research
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:0c00ce9a5845ba1d7e22c1303342c9d49acd7f922da7b4840f3a6138df5ec05632d695fc982ae795e04ad409313ac5ef4fe96349217a9fc4438f4c1e65399382
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/203707/cdc_203707_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 197.10 KB ]