Fishing vessels — health and safety of workers on board

KEY POINTS

Owners of fishing vessels must ensure that their use does not endanger the safety and health of workers, considering foreseeable weather conditions. Under the terms of Directive 89/391/EEC, they must also consider any hazards faced by remaining workers when their co-workers leave their workstations to respond to dangerous situations.

New fishing vessels and major repairs and alterations to existing vessels had to comply with minimum safety and health requirements by 23 November 1995, while existing vessels had a further 7 years to comply.

Any occurrences at sea affecting the safety and health of the workers on board must be reported to the relevant authorities and in the ship’s log.

EU countries must ensure that vessels are checked regularly by specifically empowered authorities to ensure compliance with the directive.

Owner obligations

Owners must ensure that vessels and their fittings and equipment are clean and well-maintained and must follow the detailed requirements listed in the annexes to the directive in the following areas:

• seaworthiness and stability;
• mechanical and electrical installations;
• radio installation;
• emergency routes and exits;
• fire detection and fire fighting;
• ventilation of enclosed workplaces;
• temperature of working areas;
• natural and artificial lighting of workplaces;
• decks, bulkheads and deckheads;
• doors;
• traffic routes — danger areas;
• layout of workstations;
• living quarters;
• sanitary facilities;
• first aid;
• accommodation ladders and gangways;
• noise.

Adequate and suitable emergency and survival equipment should be kept on board.

Training and consultation

Workers should be kept informed of all health and safety measures and should be appropriately trained, in particular in accident prevention and the use of life-saving and survival equipment. Anybody likely to be in command should be additionally trained in the prevention of occupational illness and accidents, the stability and maintenance of the vessel under all foreseeable operational conditions, and radio navigation and communication.

Workers, or their representatives, should be consulted on safety and health measures in accordance with Directive 89/391/EEC. Representatives should be given the means to carry out these activities, including time off without loss of pay, and must not be penalised because of them. They must also have the opportunity to submit their observations during inspection visits under the worker participation terms outlined in Directive 89/391/EEC.

Implementation

EU countries must report to the European Commission every 5 years on the practical implementation of the directive, including the points of view of employers and workers.

A 2009 report from the Commission assesses practical implementation of this directive, as well as the 1992 directive on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels.