Question 1

Why is a properly worn, well-maintained personal flotation device (PFD) considered especially critical for fishing vessel deckhands working on an open deck, beyond the general MOB risk present on any vessel?

Accepted Answer

Given the combination of solitary deck work, gear-handling distraction, and the speed at which entanglement or a sudden movement can put someone in the water unnoticed, a worn (not just stowed) PFD is frequently the only safety margin between an MOB event and a fatality, since rescue may not begin for some time A PFD that is not worn at the moment of an unexpected MOB event provides no protection at all — and the documented pattern of solitary, unnoticed MOB events on fishing vessels means the gap between entering the water and rescue beginning can be long. A worn PFD is what bridges survival through that gap; a stowed one does nothing for an unconscious or incapacitated person already in the water.

Question 2

What is the single most common circumstance leading to man overboard fatalities on UK fishing vessels, according to MAIB pattern analysis?

Accepted Answer

A crew member working alone or unsupervised on an open, exposed deck while handling gear, often without a properly worn personal flotation device (PFD), with no one immediately aware they have gone over the side A recurring, well-documented pattern is a crew member lost overboard while working alone on deck during gear operations, frequently without a worn PFD, with the loss not noticed until much later — by which time search and rescue chances have fallen sharply. This is why lone working on open decks and PFD-wearing culture are repeatedly highlighted in fishing vessel safety guidance.

Question 3

Why is entanglement in warps, ropes, or winch machinery considered a particularly severe hazard on a fishing vessel compared to many other deck hazards?

Accepted Answer

Warps and gear-handling machinery operate under very high tension and can apply enormous, near-instantaneous force, capable of causing traumatic injury, dragging a person overboard, or pulling them into machinery before they can react The forces involved in towed or hauled fishing gear are far higher than most other shipboard rigging, and the speed at which a loop of rope or warp can tighten around a limb under load gives a crew member very little time to react — this combination of high force and short reaction window makes entanglement one of the most severe acute hazards on a working fishing deck.