Dangers of Confined Spaces on Fishing Vessels

In June of 2004, a fishing tender arrived in port to offload salmon. The vessel had experienced problems with the refrigerated sea water system and, after the fish were delivered, the skipper and a crewmember entered the refrigeration compartment to investigate the problem.

A Freon leak was discovered and an attempt was made to stop it. After only a little more than a minute, both fishermen lost consciousness and collapsed. Another crewmember discovered them and called for help. Rescue personnel wearing supplied air respirators removed the victims and started resuscitation efforts. The skipper was revived and survived the incident; the crewmember could not be saved.

The death of this fisherman highlights a hazard often overlooked on fishing vessels – confined spaces. A confined space is one with limited openings for entry and exit, unfavorable natural ventilation, and not designed for continuous worker occupancy. Lazarettes, fish holds, and engine compartments are all examples of confined spaces.

In the fatality described above, leaking Freon displaced oxygen in the refrigeration compartment. Other gases can also displace oxygen. Even when there is no leaking gas at all, oxygen levels can be reduced in a confined space due to lack of ventilation. In addition to gases that displace oxygen in a confined space, the presence of a toxic gas can be deadly. One example of a toxic gas on fishing vessels is carbon monoxide produced by the engine, heaters, dewatering pumps, and any other device that burns fuel.

Confined spaces on fishing vessels can be hazardous and should be entered with great caution. The following recommendations can help reduce the danger of confined spaces.
1) Recognize confined spaces and mark them with warning signs. These include lazarettes, fish holds, engine compartments, and any other space with limited openings or poor ventilation.
2) Test the air in a confined space before entering. If available, use a gas monitor to test the level of oxygen, flammable gases, and toxic gases. Install carbon monoxide alarms in the engine compartment, cabin, and other spaces.
3) Ventilate the space. Use an adequate blower or fan and trunk hose. Continue to ventilate and monitor while inside the space.
4) Never enter a confined space when a leak of Freon or other gases is suspected. Have a qualified technician with proper testing and safety equipment repair leaks.
5) Post a support person outside the space. This person should have no other responsibilities and should know who to notify in case of emergency. The standby person should not enter the space without adequate rescue training and equipment (supplied air respirator, life lines, suitable personal protective equipment, etc).
6) Have a rescue plan. Determine ahead of time how someone who becomes unconscious will be extracted from a confined space without creating a victim of a would-be-rescuer.
7) Do not enter a confined space to try to rescue a person already unconscious. Sixty percent of confined space fatalities are would-be-rescuers. As hard as it may be not to go in after someone, without the proper equipment it can kill you. Wait for properly trained emergency personnel with supplied air respirators to enter the space.

To learn more about confined space safety, consult the following:
A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces. US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Publication Number 87-113.
NIOSH FACE Program: Alaska Case Report 92AK036, available at www.cdc.gov/niosh/face/stateface/ak/92ak036.html
OSHA Safety and Health Topics, available at www.osha.gov/SLTC/confinedspaces/
Worker Deaths in Confined Spaces. US Dept. of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Publication Number 94-103.

Using Liferafts & Immersions Suits Safely During Training

Recently an AMSEA instructor reported that a student caught his head in a boarding ladder during a liferaft training exercise. Fortunately, the instructor was following correct procedures, was in the water near the student, was able to lift the liferaft over the student’s head and the student swam free.
The practice of righting and entering a liferaft is an important exercise in marine survival training. The techniques learned by righting and entering a liferaft during a pool session can be invaluable during an at-sea evacuation. For example, the passengers of the M/V Estonia, which sank in a Baltic Sea winter storm, did not know how to right the liferafts and consequently did not benefit from the protection of liferaft canopies or the survival equipment inside the rafts. There are many other documented instances of this.
A few reminders about safely using liferafts during training:
• Keep instructor/student ratios low; 1:5 or 1:6 is maximum.
• Limit the number of students in the water at one time to five or six.
• If possible, employ two helpers, one in the water with students and one on deck. The helper on deck can lift the raft out of the water and observe that the trainees do not injure themselves by hitting the edge of the pool when boarding or exiting a raft.
• Always have a helper in the water with students when they are righting a raft.
• Stress caution near boarding ladders and lines that could be an entanglement hazard.
• Cut ballast pockets to let water escape. This makes it easier to flip a raft upside down from the deck of the pool.
• Remove or cushion metal fittings from CO2 cylinders if they are still attached to rafts.
• AMSEA training rafts are sent without CO2 cylinders for safety during shipment and training. If a cylinder is present, be extra sure that the raft is righted from the cylinder side to prevent head injury.
• When inflating liferafts with a CO2 cylinder, always do so in the water. On a hard surface, CO2 has a tendency to forcefully fling straps and CO2 canister raft sections, since a hard surface cannot dissipate energy as water can.
• Have students stay on their backs if caught beneath a raft. Rafts are lightweight and can be raised with one hand to admit air. Have an instructor in the water or other trainees also ready to lift raft.
• Advise trainees not to wrap righting straps around their hands. This will help prevent entanglements.
Claustrophobia in immersion suits and liferafts is also a teaching concern. Instructors note that about 10% of trainees get claustrophobic, if not just in an immersion suit, then once they enter a raft wearing a suit.
Observe trainees closely for signs of claustrophobia and ask if anyone is uncomfortable. Those who are usually are eager to express their anxiety.
Allow uneasy students to keep zippers open at the top of suits as long as they are not in cold water. In a liferaft, make sure they are always near the door. Prevent claustrophobic trainees from feeling trapped and possibly thrashing fearfully in the bottom of a raft.
Occasionally, immersion suit zippers get stuck while fully zipped with a wearer inside. Keeping suit zippers lubricated with non-petroleum based lubricant and lubricating once every donning during training will go far to prevent this.
However, zippers can get stuck, so keep scissors handy; EMT scissors with blunt ends are best. To get someone out of a suit quickly, cut along the zipper, from the top down. This will destroy the suit, so be sure to try other alternatives first if the trainee is not fretful at being stuck in the suit for a bit longer.
When donning suits in a group, have trainees space themselves by extending their arms, ensuring that they don’t punch each other when putting their arms in the suits.
Lastly, always have sufficient people to monitor training and trainees. Using survival equipment in a hands-on manner is a vital part of marine safety training. However, as with any activity, it has its risks. These risks can be lowered to an acceptable level by adhering to the above guidelines.

Boating Preparation

By Jerry Dzugan
Director, Alaska Marine Safety Education Association

Peter Spectre, writing about the loss of the S/V John F. Leavitt, famously wrote,
“When you call up the Coast Guard…you are asking them to risk their life to save yours. You are also asking them to spend a lot of money in the process. The rescuers neither ask for nor get much in return…and they value their lives as much as we value ours.

“It is the duty of those who go to sea to avoid getting into situations that require the aid of rescue services – heed the season, equip your vessel properly, keep a sharp out for weather changes, shake down a new vessel conscientiously, don’t expect your ship to do something she can’t, pump for your life if you’re sinking, maneuver your vessel if you’re not, think ahead. Anything less and you will be asking more of others than you ask of yourself.”

Spectre’s words are especially true in Alaska where help can be far away and the cold wet environment is unforgiving of mistakes.

A few things to keep in mind to help you prepare:

Is there enough fuel – 1/3 to get there, 1/3 to return and 1/3 to spare? Do you drain the water from your fuel filter daily? Water causes most engine problems. Do you have communications equipment to call for help? A marine radio is better than a cell phone, which cannot be heard by other boaters and has a more limited range.

Is there a lifejacket (PFD) of an appropriate size for everyone on board? Is it worn? There are numerous styles available and the excuse “It’s too bulky” is no longer valid. Most mariners did not know they were going overboard seconds before they did. The best PFD is the one that’s worn. Are there more than the minimum number of fire extinguishers onboard? The requirements for this are minimal; get more. Remember, at sea you are the fire department.

Are flares in date? Leaks not tolerated? Toolkit? Backup navigation equipment such as compass and charts available if GPS and plotter do not work? Oars available? If the fog rolled in, could you tell rescuers your position? Is an abandon ship kit ready to go if you need it? It’s a good practice to take this in the skiff with you if going ashore. If you were disabled could others get you onboard, call for help, anchor the vessel, bring it back to town? The sea doesn’t suffer fools, those in haste, or the unprepared.

The Importance of Safety Orientations

A few years ago, AMSEA received a call from a woman who lives in a small town in Southeast Alaska, who had lost her husband overboard. His body was never recovered. Although he was right next to their boat, she and her children had no idea of how to get him out of the water, of how to use the radio to get help, or how to steer the boat or engage the gears. She pleaded with AMSEA to stress the importance of ALL family members knowing the basic functions of the boat and what to do in case of an emergency.

All too often, only one member of a family knows about the operation of the vessel and that person if often the least protected by wearing a lifejacket. Every boat trip should start with a safety orientation for everyone onboard before the vessel leaves the harbor. This includes how to use the radio, flares and EPIRB, if needed. Using the radio to summon help mans knowing one’s position. Familiarize your family and passengers with place names as you pass them and show them how to read the GPS, if so equipped. Show them where the fire extinguishers are and how to use them. Show them the location of the first aid kit.

Basic functions such as starting, stopping, anchoring, steering and engaging the gears should be familiar to everyone onboard who is physically capable. Also, point out hazards such as low overheads, slippery spaces, exit routes, lines and machinery. Explain how they would get someone onboard after a fall into the water. Most importantly, explain the proper use of lifejackets and insist on their use.

Studies show that people who have not been shown how to use survival equipment, do not use it in an emergency. Show family and passengers, in a hands-on way, where equipment is located and how it is used. Take a few minutes to do a safety orientation before you leave the harbor. Let passengers know what their job is in case of a fire, man overboard or loss of vessel. The person who they help, could be you!

There is No Boating Right of Way!

Many bays, inlets and lakes are full of a dizzying array of commercial fishing vessels, paddle boats, sailboats, charter boats, ferries, tugs with tows, cruise ships of all sizes, and other vessels. The waterways upon which these vessels navigate do not have double yellow lines, four way stop signs, traffic lights or turn signals. Over hundreds of years, certain rules have developed and been agreed upon by boaters that serve as rules to avoid collisions between vessels. These are known as the Rules of the Road.

It is a misconception that these Rules of the Road include a “right of way” for one vessel over another. When involved in a collision at sea, it is not like Judge Judy. Courts rarely determine one operator completely guilty and another completely innocent. Everyone shares some portion of the damages and guilt.

Textbooks on Rules of the Road, officially known as the International Regulations for Prevention of Collisions at Sea or COLREGS, used to talk about which vessel had the right of way. Much time was spent in determining who was in the “right”. Determining who was in the right, lead to many collisions. As a result, the terminology was changed to put emphasis on which vessel was a “burdened” or “privileged” vessel. Collisions continued to mount as agreements ensued over who was “privileged” or “burdened”.


Currently when risk of a collision exists, the emphasis is put on determining which is the “stand-on” or the “give-way” vessel, and gets away from the old thinking that one vessel has the right over another. Generally speaking, the stand-on vessel maintains their course and speed. The give way vessel changes course and speed as necessary to avoid a collision. There are a number of rules that to help vessels determine their status.

According to COLREGS, a vessel may, even should, depart from the rules if that is the only way to prevent a collision. All vessels have the responsibility to avoid a collision, no matter what you determine your status to be.

Therefore, when boating in traffic and risk of a collision becomes apparent, determine your status, give early and clear communications of your intentions, and don’t assume that the other boater knows the rules. Be polite. When approaching another vessel it is too late to look up the Rules. Know them before you go. Ignorance or misinformation is not an excuse. Don’t carry your perceived “right of way” right into a collision.

Welcome to AMSEA's Weblog!

As AMSEA collaborations and partnerships expand in Alaska and the U.S., boating and marine safety training and education efforts increase.

A cooperative approach is as effective and meaningful now as it was at AMSEA's founding in 1985. We are aware of the importance of increasing the quality and quantity of our efforts to maintain our partnerships.

To that end, we add the Alaska Marine Safety Education Weblog to AMSEA's toolbox with which to communicate and collaborate with community-based cold-water safety instructors, whether they are teaching kindergarten children in Western Alaska, new crew on tall ships in the U.K., commercial fishermen in the U.S., or the boating search and rescue crews in Antarctica.

We also hope that mariners themselves, in Alaska and elsewhere, will find the news and information posted here valuable in making their own forays onto the water safe.

Education and training efforts are only worthwhile if they have results. AMSEA continues to provide effective training as well as easily accessed information such as that in this weblog. We look forward to feedback on our posts and how we can be even more effective.

Foreseeability Affects Risk Assessment

The world is full of risk from obvious and sometimes not very obvious sources. No one can provide a totally safe environment. The ability to foresee whether a situation could cause injury or death is at the root of whether we take a reactive or proactive role in reducing risks.
Reactive responses minimize risk only after an injury or fatality has taken place. Proactive responses look at the risks, determine their likelihood, and take steps to reduce risks before injury can take place.

Not long ago a logger cut a felled tree into fireplace-sized pieces and kicked one of the pieces down a hill. The fateful piece of firewood rolled 400 feet downhill when it suddenly hit something, made a 90 degree turn, continued onward until making yet another 90 degree change of direction, flipped up into the air and struck someone square in the back of the head, killing him.

The action of a man kicking a piece of wood leading to a fatality was quite unforeseeable and a legal judgment went accordingly. There was no proactive action that would have prevented the fatality.

An example of a possible proactive step to reduce risks in the maritime industry is accounting for the increasing weight of the average American in determining capacity of vessels. Currently, the maximum number of passengers a small passenger vessel can carry assumes the average adult weighs 140 pounds. That standard was set in 1942. However, the Centers for Disease Control notes that the average adult weight has increased to 178 pounds.

Last year, the capsizings of the M/V Lady D and M/V Ethan Allen resulted in 25 fatalities. The fact that these vessels were rated using the unrealistic average passenger weight of 140 pounds was one of the alleged causes of the fatalities.

Since boating regulatory agencies were aware of the importance of weight and stability, regulatory action to limit the number of passengers based on modern, realistic average weight would have been a foreseeable, proactive way to limit risk before the M/V Lady D and M/V Ethan Allen incidents. However, only now are regulatory agencies considering revising downward the number of passengers a vessel for hire can carry, based on modern weights of Americans.

Safety regulations are typically enacted reactively after a casualty, or more often a series of casualties, takes place. It is one of the ways humans naturally respond to a casualty. However, a reactive approach to managing risk, or anything else in life, is usually not the most effective management when the potential result is a disabling injury or the finality of death.
Don’t wait for someone to get hurt or killed before taking action to lessen risks. Survey the risks in any activity and find ways to minimize them. It’s the only effective way to prevent losses that are foreseeable.