Kishorn fish farmers to attend aquaculture safety event

Date:

14 September 2010

Release No:

SCO/183/10

Scottish fish and shellfish farmers will come together in Kishorn, Strathcarron on 21 September, to attend a special aquaculture and maritime safety awareness event.

It aims to remind farmers of the best ways of working to keep themselves and others safe and will provide an opportunity for the industry to get together and share their experiences.

The event will take place at Kishorn Port, courtesy of Ferguson Transport (Scotland) Ltd, and is being organised and supported by members of the Scottish Aquaculture Industry Forum (SAIF) including the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB), The Crown Estate, RNLI, Scottish Sea Farms, the Scottish Salmon Company and others.

It begins with registration at 10:30 and follows the success of three similar events, the last held in Stornoway earlier this year.

Qualified instructors and experienced personnel from the industry will present practical demonstrations to help farmers identify common workplace hazards and the precautions they should be taking.

The most common causes of incidents and ill health arising in aquaculture and other marine activities involve:

• Fork lift truck/transport issues
• Manual handling
• Chemicals
• Confined spaces
• Lifejackets
• Life rafts and flares
• Cold shock

Working in the marine environment is a dangerous occupation. In the last decade HSE has investigated four cases of drowning in the fish farming sector. Since September 2007 the Marine Accident Investigation Branch has started three investigations into accidents in which a total of six seafarers have died in enclosed/confined spaces. In May 2009 a double fatality on a moored barge in similar circumstances occurred and has been investigated by HSE.

HSE Inspector Ann Poyner said:

"Aquaculture is an important industry in Scotland and one that we can be very proud of; however we must not forget that the marine environment is dangerous and unforgiving.

"The attendance at previous events demonstrates the industry's real desire to protect its workforce and improve standards."

WiIlliam Forsyth from the MCA added:

"Previous Safety Health Awareness days have proved very successful and have helped the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to impart safety advice in many areas. In particular, the days have helped us to encourage seafarers to wear lifejackets on deck, underpinning our campaign message that lifejackets save lives.

"The awareness days are an effective tool which companies can use to enhance their own safety management systems in the workplace. We have received positive feedback from a number of companies whose staff attended previous events and they have reported seeing improved skills and safety attitudes of their staff in a number of their work streams."

Notes to editors

1. The Health and Safety Executive is Britain's national regulator for workplace health and safety. It aims to reduce work-related death, injury and ill health. It does so through research, information and advice; promoting training; new or revised regulations and codes of practice; and working with local authority partners by inspection, investigation and enforcement. www.hse.gov.uk.
2. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department for Transport (DfT), we support the Department in developing and implementing the Government's maritime safety and environmental protection strategy by: setting standards and regulation; checking the standards of ships and seafarers; providing services to seafarers; monitoring our coasts and seas, and responding to emergencies.
3. Visit http://www.mcga.gov.uk for recent Maritime and Coastguard Agency press releases

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Issued on behalf of HSE by COI News and PR (Scotland)