Barriers and Facilitators to Adoption of Winch Safety Equipment in Two U.S. Commercial Fisheries

Details

• Journal Article:
  Journal of Agromedicine
• Personal Author:
  Victoroff, Tristan M. ; Teske, Theodore D.
• Description:
  Purpose: This study explored commercial fishermen's perspectives and decision-making process related to investment in winch safety equipment for fishing vessels. Methods: The study employed semi-structured interviews during 2019-2021 with commercial fishing captains, owners, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers (n = 19) from two different commercial fisheries: the Pacific Northwest purse seine fleet, and the Southern shrimp fleet. Interview recordings were transcribed and qualitatively analyzed to identify themes related to adoption of winch safety gear. Results: Overall, perception of risk from deck winches was high in both populations. Fishermen generally regarded safety engineering interventions for winches positively, in principle. However, cost, installation complexity, and competing safety priorities are often barriers to adopting such equipment. In discussing safety-related investments, fishermen commonly prioritized maintenance of the vessel and management of the crew over mechanical safety equipment for the deck winch, despite its potential for causing injury. We identified several potential facilitators of adoption of winch safety equipment, particularly for the Southern shrimp fleet. Conclusions: Fishermen tend to view deck winch safety as part of a larger, complex set of safety considerations encompassing the vessel and crew as a whole. This risk balancing sometimes does not favor investment in safety gear specifically for the deck winch, even if it is perceived as a primary hazard. Fundamental economic conditions in these two fisheries continue to pose a challenge to widespread adoption of winch safety equipment. Reducing cost barriers would potentially be the most effective way to increase adoption, but additional work is needed to improve risk communication, increase awareness of available winch safety equipment, and address installation complexity barriers.
• Subjects:
  Hunting Occupational Health Safety
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Fishing; Occupational Safety And Health; Traumatic Injury; Winch Safety Fishing Industry; Decision Making; Safety Equipment; Safety Engineering; Traumatic Injuries; Costs;
• Source:
  J Agromedicine 2026 Apr; 31(2):173-185
• ISSN:
  1059-924X
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  Washington ; San Francisco Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Division:
  WSD - Western States Division
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  14 pdf pages
• Volume:
  31
• Issue:
  2
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071240
• Contact Point Address:
  Tristan M. Victoroff, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Western States Division, 315 E. Montgomery Ave., Spokane, WA 99207, USA
• Email:
  tvictoroff@cdc.gov
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:65bef7f54bdd2f493079aade114b5b353ba54953f031046129352a6fce31201b065d91a8776673f09dffb3c365d65fce8a08c56e03d10946109a2795b6f4f1d2
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/258718/cdc_258718_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.70 MB ]