| Abstract |
Commercial fishing has continually been one of the most hazardous occupations in the USA. This is due primarily to vessel disasters and man overboard incidences with contributing factors such as severe weather, strenuous labor, long hours, and vessel instability. AMSEA's Commercial Fishing Training Program has helped reverse this public health fatality trend through training 12,724 mariners in survival equipment and emergency procedures. AMSEA has documented 86 fishermen who have taken the training and survived an emergency at sea during this five-year grant period. Training was held in 24 coastal states and US territories (156 communities) from New England to American Samoa, Florida Keys to Barrow Alaska, the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. Over the 5-year grant period July 1, 2011-June 39, 20160 AMSEA's programs emphasize performance based, hands-on training in using safety equipment and implementing emergency procedures. Over 925 classes were held. Approaches for mitigating the high fatality rates in fishing occupations were met by leveraging multiple funding sources to maximize this NIOSH funding to help AMSEA exceed original objectives to train 9,859 but instructed an additional 2,865 trainees. cumulative results: 1)Marine Safety Instructor Training (MSIT): a six day, 48/hr. intensive "train the trainer" course that broadens the network of US port-based instructors with fishing experience, knowledge of the local area and familiarity with local fishing risks. Instructors utilize effective methodologies in training fishermen and demonstrate drills using marine safety equipment (personal floatation devices, immersion suits, life rafts, flood control, fire and emergency signals.) Nationally, 195 people were trained as Coast Guard accepted instructors. Original objective was to train 240. 2)Emergency Drill Conductor (EDC) Training: Certified MSIT instructors deliver workshops (required by the Coast Guard) to fishermen in 24 states and territories. Workshops offer field training to maintain and use survival equipment and best practices in conducting monthly vessel emergency drills. EDC was delivered to 7,282 fishermen through 693 classes. The original objective was 4,600. 3)Specialized Marine Safety: Specific hands-on workshops on vessel stability, emergency messages, damage control (fire and flooding) cold water survival skills, etc. Courses were provided to 4,445 people. The original objective was for 2,300. 4)EDC & MSIT Refresher: There is documentation that shows refresher courses curtail the erosion of skills and ability to implement survival procedures. 802 people received these courses in EDC (731) and MSIT (71). The original goal was to train 2,719. This is not yet a mandated course, thereby by decreasing participation. USCG rules will require this training every 5 years. Fishermen evaluations overwhelming reflect plans to focus on risk prevention and intention to practice on-going safety drills. From 2012-2015 compared to the prior four years, NIOSH has shown a 32% reduction in national fatalities for "fishers and related fishing workers" and remarkably for the first time in Alaska, no one in died commercial fishing in a vessel-related incident in federal FY15. This is a contrast from the period of 1980-1988, where an average of 31 fishermen died in Alaska annually.
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