Safety agency fires warning shot across industry’s bow
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Tuesday, 16 April, 2002 - 22:00
SAFETY authorities have fired a warning shot across the bows of the fishing industry, claiming the sector has an unacceptably high number of deaths.
Statistics show a worker is 20 times more likely to be killed in the fishing industry than in construction – an industry traditionally considered to be hazardous.
In the past five years there have been 10 fatalities in the fishing industry, which employs 3,500 people. The death of a 26-year-old diver off Jurien two weeks ago became the industry’s latest fatality.
Construction has had an identical mortality rate over the past 10 years, but it employs 80,000 people.
WorkSafe WA commissioner Brian Bradley said the fishing industry had an unacceptable number of deaths.
“The tragedy is these deaths could have been avoided if the proper safety measures had been taken by all concerned,” he said.
WorkSafe inspectors have linked with Fisheries WA and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to carry out inspections of fishing boats to make sure they are safe workplaces.
Its main safety concerns centre on the setting of crayfish pots, diving and electricity.
A multi-agency approach to fishing safety was suggested in a coroner’s report into another death in the fishing industry.
Planning and Infrastructure surveyors are required to inspect fishing boats annually to meet maritime safety requirements, and for the past year they have also been checking whether boats have residual current devices fitted.
While the surveyors have found boats without RCDs, WorkSafe has not been required to issue an improvement notice because the owners have been happy to fit them.
WorkSafe inspectors will also be taking to the seas with Fisheries WA inspectors to get an “at-sea” look at fishing boats.
The first such joint inspection trip is due before June and will focus on WA’s northern waters.
WorkSafe inspectors believe the WA Fishing Industry Council’s safety code of practice has more than adequate Occupational Health and Safety provisions.
WAFIC chief executive officer Vikki Gates said a priority of the council was to survey the industry to find out what parts of the code were not being taken up.
“We want a broad uptake of the code across all sectors of the industry so we need to find out where the gaps are and cover them,” Ms Gates said.
She said the council took a pro-active view on safety and organised regular safety courses.
Statistics show a worker is 20 times more likely to be killed in the fishing industry than in construction – an industry traditionally considered to be hazardous.
In the past five years there have been 10 fatalities in the fishing industry, which employs 3,500 people. The death of a 26-year-old diver off Jurien two weeks ago became the industry’s latest fatality.
Construction has had an identical mortality rate over the past 10 years, but it employs 80,000 people.
WorkSafe WA commissioner Brian Bradley said the fishing industry had an unacceptable number of deaths.
“The tragedy is these deaths could have been avoided if the proper safety measures had been taken by all concerned,” he said.
WorkSafe inspectors have linked with Fisheries WA and the Department of Planning and Infrastructure to carry out inspections of fishing boats to make sure they are safe workplaces.
Its main safety concerns centre on the setting of crayfish pots, diving and electricity.
A multi-agency approach to fishing safety was suggested in a coroner’s report into another death in the fishing industry.
Planning and Infrastructure surveyors are required to inspect fishing boats annually to meet maritime safety requirements, and for the past year they have also been checking whether boats have residual current devices fitted.
While the surveyors have found boats without RCDs, WorkSafe has not been required to issue an improvement notice because the owners have been happy to fit them.
WorkSafe inspectors will also be taking to the seas with Fisheries WA inspectors to get an “at-sea” look at fishing boats.
The first such joint inspection trip is due before June and will focus on WA’s northern waters.
WorkSafe inspectors believe the WA Fishing Industry Council’s safety code of practice has more than adequate Occupational Health and Safety provisions.
WAFIC chief executive officer Vikki Gates said a priority of the council was to survey the industry to find out what parts of the code were not being taken up.
“We want a broad uptake of the code across all sectors of the industry so we need to find out where the gaps are and cover them,” Ms Gates said.
She said the council took a pro-active view on safety and organised regular safety courses.