COMMERCIAL FISHING SAFETY

Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs)

Falling overboard is the second leading cause of death among commercial fishermen nationwide. Of the 210 fishermen who died from falls overboard between 2000 and 2014, NONE of them were wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) when they drowned. Many of these fatalities would have been prevented if the fisherman had been able to float.

Fishing Safety Success Stories

The More You Wear It, The Better Off You Are

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2019-164
In November of 2016, Tyler was working as a sternman on his dad’s lobster boat when he was knocked overboard by a trap they were setting. Watch the video to find out what happened next.

Man, This Could Be It

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2019-163
In the fall of 2016, Gerry fell overboard while mooring his lobster boat; he wasn’t wearing a PFD. Water filled his oil skins and he was unable to re-board his boat. Watch the video to find out what happened next.

My Life Vest Saved Me

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2018-107D
Stan fell overboard setting pots at the start of Dungeness crab season in Oregon, but his story has a different ending because he was wearing his PFD. Watch the video to find out what happened next.

Improving PFD Use among Commercial Fishermen

The NIOSH PFD Study

There is no regulation requiring fishermen to wear a PFD while working. A NIOSH study conducted in 2008 found that 16% of respondents never wear a PFD while working on deck, even though many respondents also said that PFDs are effective at preventing man overboard fatalities. Reasons for not wearing a PFD included perceived lack of comfort, entanglement hazards, and restrictions to movement while working.

In another part of the study, researchers conducted an evaluation with commercial fishermen from four gear groups to rate the comfort and acceptability of six modern PFDs. About 200 fishermen were asked to evaluate a PFD for one month while working on deck so that wearable PFDs could be identified. The results of this study were translated into a series of gear-specific fact sheets that highlight PFDs rated as comfortable by commercial fishermen.

PFDs That Work: Overview

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-131
This document is a supplement to the gear-specific fact sheets NIOSH has published and has guidance for selecting a PFD that will work for you.

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PFDs That Work: Crabbers

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-106
This document has guidance for selecting a PFD that will work for you and shows which PFDs were preferred by commercial crabbers.

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PFDs That Work: Gillnetters

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-107
This document has guidance for selecting a PFD that will work for you and shows which PFDs were preferred by commercial gillnetters.

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PFDs That Work: Trawlers

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-109
This document has guidance for selecting a PFD that will work for you and shows which PFDs were preferred by commercial trawlers.

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PFDs That Work: Longliners

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2013-108
This document has guidance for selecting a PFD that will work for you and shows which PFDs were preferred by commercial longliners.

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PFDs That Work: Dungeness Crabbers

DHHS (NIOSH) Publication Number 2015-180
This document has guidance for selecting a PFD that will work for you and shows which PFDs were preferred by commercial Dungeness crabbers.

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Live to be Salty

Live to be Salty is a health communication intervention designed to increase adoption of PFDs among commercial fishermen to reduce drownings from falls overboard. To “Live to be Salty” means to take steps that will lead to a long and productive fishing career.

The project focuses on raising awareness of the risk of man overboard fatalities among commercial fishermen and provides links to locating comfortable personal flotation devices that can be worn on deck while working. Materials for the intervention can be found on the NIOSH Live to be Salty Resource Page.