Electromagnetic waves: the good and the bad As a fisherman, it’s common for you to think and talk about waves – the kind you encounter when working on the ocean. But what about electromagnetic waves? The radio waves powering your VHF radio; the light waves enabling you to see other boats; or the waves warming …
Category: Safety
Fish Safe – March 2023
What has rope got to do with health? At this writing, we are three months into winter. New England lobstermen may have spent a good deal of that time indoors working on gear. Sanding and painting buoys (painting outside, and with low VOC paint) and working indoors with rope (looking for weak spots; splicing pieces; …
Fish Safe – Jan 2023
Fish spine punctures and zoonotic infections are serious This installment of Fish Safe addresses issues important to aquaculturists, commercial and recreational fishermen, fish processors, and even fish hobbyists (those who maintain fish in tanks at home): fish spine punctures and the resulting infections. In addition, I am thinking about those of you who may retreat …
Fish Safe – Nov 2022
Winter, life rafts, batteries, and such Now that we in New England will soon be back on Eastern Standard time and are noticing the chill in the air, we should also notice things that need our attention on the boat. The big thing is the life raft. If you plan to fish offshore 20 miles …
FISH SAFE – May ’22
What’s a health screening for, anyway? This past March marked the second year in a row the Maine Fishermen’s Forum (MFF) in Rockport, ME was postponed due to COVID concerns. A much-anticipated annual event since the mid-1970s, the forum has traditionally brought fishermen and their families together to discuss the impact of federal and state …
FISH SAFE – Mar’22
Near misses: can we prevent or reduce them? Has it happened to you? “Whew, that was close!” “Who’s going to believe what we just escaped?” Whether at work or in normal living, we all have had close calls – aka “near misses.” Some workers characterize near misses as injuries that didn’t happen. Others might say …
FISH SAFE – Jan’22
On behalf of fishing safety: the Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council Maine has a special council that is committed to fishing safety. The Maine Commercial Fishing Safety Council (MCFSC or the council) is a voluntary council sponsored by the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR). The council was established by the Maine state legislature under …
FISH SAFE – Nov’21
How ready is your pier for emergency response? Fishermen experience many different types of injuries on the job. A large number are musculoskeletal injuries caused by being struck, called “struck-by/struck-against” in the parlance of industrial hygienists. Other musculoskeletal injuries are the result of repetitive activity (such as banding lobsters) or the result of strenuous lifting …
FISH SAFE – Sep’21
Dew Point and NOAA’s Digital Weather Website It was foggy on the Maine coast on August 10 and 11. Fog is common in the months of August and September in the coastal northeast. Fog doesn’t phase fishermen. They either know their territory very well without visible clues, or they use their electronics to navigate when the …
FISH-SAFE – July’21
This year’s numbers of disabled vessels and medevacs are high in USCG District 1 Each year for one of the summer issues of CFN, I review the Coast Guard (USCG) District 1 data year-to-date to see if there are any safety topics that need to be brought to the fore. This year the number of disabled …