Cutting Loose: Knife Grip, Shape Matters

Details

• Personal Author:
  Backus A
• Description:
  In the November issue, we discussed the events leading up to and resulting in the drowning from entanglement in trap rope of James Tippett aborad the Virginia Ann. This time, we'll address the importance of having knives readily available to cut free from and entanglement. Through our study team's discussions with lobstermen during the survey of entanglement risks in 1999 and 2000, we collected many suggestions about ways to recover from entanglement in trap rope. These ideas included taping a sharp knife upside down on oilskins or suspenders, placing a knife inside the boot or alongside the calf, and mounting knives under the rail and on the transom. Eric deDoes, president of Plante's Lobster Escape Vents Inc. in Somerville, ME, called CFN after seeing the November article to say he has developed and produced a plastic sheath for the typical red-handled knife used by fishermen. This sheath is designed to hold the knife tightly so that it can be mounted upside down on oilskin straps or suspenders. This upside-down position is recommended because it allows a fisherman who is caught in rope to pull the knife down out of the sheath safely and not up near the face. The hand motion that removes the knife from the sheath in a downward stroke also starts the knife moving in the direction toward the rope. The upside down knife can be removed easily by either right or left hand. Fishermen can place the readily available red-handed knife or one of similar size in the molded plastic Plante sheath. [Description provided by NIOSH]
• Subjects:
  Environmental Exposure Hunting Occupational Health Personal Protective Equipment Risk Assessment Risk Factors Safety Staff Development Workplace
• Keywords:
  Equipment Maintenance Equipment Reliability Exposure Levels Fishing Fishing Industry Personal Protection Personal Protective Equipment PPE Risk Factors Safety Culture Safety Education Safety Equipment Safety Measures Seasonal Activity Seasonal Factors Training 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:20062217
• Citation:
  Commercial Fish News 2007 Jan; :12B
• 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:
  2007
• Performing Organization:
  Harvard School of Public Health
• Peer Reviewed:
  False
• Start Date:
  20050701
• Source Full Name:
  Commercial Fisheries News
• End Date:
  20280630
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:b02c5ae360b01fba08ebcc2b386301374c35fc162200df1b3d6338c50d844843493e66173a6bc1100d3c63e67a86b9d67ac134890af6922ec450661710afe69b
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/225512/cdc_225512_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 302.03 KB ]