Watch your fingers!
I work as a deckhand where we cast the line, harvest, clean and store the fish we catch. However, one day I was assigned as a puller. As we pulled the line upwards, I was surprised by an incoming fish and wrapped my finger around the line. The line became tighter and locked around my finger. I quickly shouted at the crew for help and luckily, we were able to unwrap my finger in time.
Fishing line might seem like a safe and simple bit of kit when fishing, but don’t underestimate its strength under load!
When working with fishing line, it is important not to wrap it around your fingers as this can lead to cuts, the loss of circulation, or potentially the loss of your finger!
Tips and Tools
It can always be handy to have safety knives around the vessel to avoid any accidents occurring if something gets tangled up in your line that should be!
It is important to be proactive in mitigating potential hazards on board a vessel to ensure a safe working environment. Regular risk assessments should be conducted on the vessel to identify potential risks. All crew members should be trained to recognise hazards, and understand the four steps of risk assessment:
- Identify hazards
- Consider the risks associated with each hazard
- Control the risks
- Practice, review and document
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