A
two-year joint RNLI/Seafish lifejacket trial, involving south west fleets,
provides in-depth results relating to fishermen’s views on the wearing of
lifejackets and buoyancy aids while working. From the group of fishermen
that remained in the trial for over a year, there was a 900 per cent
increase in those claiming to wear lifejackets most or all of the time – a
potentially lifesaving habit.
The
national trial involved fishermen from across the south west including
Newlyn, St Ives, Newquay, Looe, Appledore, Brixham, Beer and Lyme Regis, and
Guernsey and Jersey in the Channel Islands. All other fishermen involved
were based in Scotland.
The result
of the trial links to the first conclusion; that different lifejackets suit
different types of fishing, and there is not ‘one type that fits all’, as
Sean Friday, RNLI Fishing Safety Manager in the south west, explains:
‘There is
a perception in some quarters that lifejackets are not widely worn due to
the attitude to safety held by fishermen. However, this report clearly finds
that the main causes of lifejackets not being worn are that some are not
designed for deck work, and that information on the types and design
features of lifejackets is not readily available. The result is that
awareness of suitable lifejackets is poor among the fishing community.’
‘We
established that those fishermen who stayed on the trial found a lifejacket
that suited them and so were willing to continue for the second year. We
were delighted that within this group, the number of fishermen wearing a
lifejacket rose by 900 per cent compared to the pre trial figure. This is as
a direct result of taking part in the trial – a huge achievement.’
‘This
shows that having the relevant information to hand makes a big difference to
a fisherman when choosing a lifejacket that is suitable for both his method
of fishing and that is comfortable while working on deck. After all no
fisherman is going to pay out hard earned cash for a lifejacket that is
unsuitable or uncomfortable, and both these aspects were specifically
tested. I now carry the top 10 lifejackets from the trial with me so when I
visit a port the fishermen can try them on for themselves.’
‘The
full report is available on the RNLI’s website at
www.rnli.org.uk/lifejacket but we have also
produced two leaflets for potting and trawler crews which are available free
of charge from
fishingsafety@rnli.org.uk
or by phone on 01202 663142. I encourage all fishermen to take a little time
to read up on our findings, it could help them make a potentially lifesaving
decision – to buy and wear a lifejacket.’
Tony Tait,
Seafish Marine Services Manager, says:
‘We had no
hesitation in joining the RNLI to carry out this trial as it is important to
understand why fishermen seem to be to reticent about actually wearing
lifejackets.
‘Some of
the detailed findings such as toggles being identified as a snagging hazard
or horseshoe-style jackets rubbing the neck really go some way to helping
with the choice fishermen are faced with when buying a lifejacket. The
results are interesting and definitely worth a look, and I’m sure they will
help inform future research work in this area.’
