Check Fishing Gear for Wear and Tear

Details

• Personal Author:
  Backus A
• Description:
  In March 1997, a fisherman on a side-dragger in the scallop fishery was struck in the head by the frame of a falling drag. He sustained a laceration to his skull and has permanently lost a significant amount 'Of sight in his left eye. The chafing and subsequent failure of a 3/4" nylon line on the becket of a tail block was the cause of this injury. This article will discuss how to look for wear and tear on fishing equipment. The responsibility for the maintenance and safe function of all equipment onboard lies with the owner or the captain when -the owner is not materially present. In the fishing industry, fishing gear and equipment ranges from simple to complex on boats from outboard size to 140' trawlers. In all fisheries, the conditions that cause wear and tear are the same: rust and corrosion, friction, vibration, load stress, deterioration, improper use, and poor maintenance. The fishing environment itself is hard on all types of gear. Chains, cables, ropes, and lines are vulnerable and should be inspected throughout their length for rusting, wear, and deterioration. After paying special attention to those areas receiving the most stress, the captain should double check that the material is appropriate for the use to which it is applied and is rated for the load it bears. Replacements must be with components designed for the job. Shackles and hooks should be checked for thinning, cable clips for wear and proper mounting, and chain plates for rust and corrosion. Blocks should be greased to reduce friction, and turnbuckles should operate easily. Bolts used to mount heavy equipment to the deck are prone to rust and corrosion. Power blocks and heavy rigging that is not in use should be removed to prevent potential injury to the crew. It is easy to forget that the vibration of a running engine is also a source of friction and wear. Similarly, even at anchor, rigging components are rubbing and chafing in response to wave and wind action. How did the above-mentioned injury happen? How could it have been prevented? The two-wire scallop-dragging gear involved in this potentially fatal injury is common in eastern Maine. The practice of emptying the drag on board after hoisting it from the water and suspending it above the deck frequently results in the drag being positioned directly above crew members. In situations where the crew is in danger of being struck by rigging, life-safety critical rigging is a necessity, and it should be checked frequently. On this scallop dragger, the tail block was suspended from the high point of the rigging by a 3/4" nylon line that was passed through the becket of the tail block and knotted. The edges of the becket had chafed the line to the point of failure. In this case, the proper rigging technique should have been to create an eyesplice around a protective thimble. This technique helps maintain the strength of the line, protects it from chafing, and probably would have prevented this accident. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Corrosion Hunting Occupational Health Safety Vibration Workplace
• Keywords:
  Corrosive Materials Corrosives Equipment Maintenance Equipment Reliability Fishing Fishing Industry Load Monitoring Safety Culture Safety Education Safety Measures Stress Work Environment Workers

  More +
• ISSN:
  0273-6713
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Grant
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Massachusetts ; OSHA Region 1
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20061938
• Citation:
  Commercial Fish News 2005 Apr; :27B
• Contact Point Address:
  Ann Backus, MS, Director of Outreach, Department of Environmental Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston MA
• Email:
  abackus@hohp.harvard.edu
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2005
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20030701
• Source Full Name:
  Commercial Fisheries News
• End Date:
  20050630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:f54559a05340a84ecb8ba7af5bb77b1d1f7d16e3a17cb6b845c38ce189e0fd3bf5018ff84421c2c6cf700225d672a22dc551aa739a8e0b19ab7b35635beb2ba0
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225275/cdc_225275_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 351.81 KB ]