The working environment of fishermen on offshore fishing vessels in the coast of Central Vietnam
Most of the fishing boats have small capacity, low productivity. In the Central, the offshore fishing fleets mainly uses 5 technologies: drag-net (50%), trawl- net (10%), trap-net (10%), tunny-net (15%). Ship capacity used depends on catching technology. The vessels of more than 400 CV capacity are mainly used for drag-net, trap-net and tunny-net fishing technologies. The remaining technologies are used in vessels of less than 400 CV capacity. The average age of the offshore fishermen is 43 ± 15.5 years old and the occupational average age was 20.3 ± 14.3 years old.
On offshore fishing vessels, fishermen are required to work under severe sea conditions and unfavorable conditions on board the vessel. The sea climate, sun, sea breeze, waves and the dangers are always there as storms and thunderstorms are factors that greatly affect the health of workers. In addition, noise, vibration, limited working space, lack of sanitation, limited nutrition and health care constitutes a typical working environment for the marine industry. The working environment at sea is a major cause affecting the health and morbidity structure of workers at sea. In addition, fishermen face many difficulties due to complicated terrain and coastal bodies of water, inaccurate and untimely ability to predict the weather, quite limited ability to communicate and news transmit that cause huge losses. The life of the fishermen is still very hard and precarious so it does not create attachment to the profession.
The reality is that the work of ensuring occupational safety and health on board as well as ensuring the offshore fishermen’s health is not complete. Wishing to contribute to the improvement of working conditions of offshore fishermen, the research team of the National Institute of Labor Protection has surveyed and assessed working conditions of the fishermen on offshore fishing vessels in the Central coast and proposed some scientific and technological solutions to ensure work safety for fishermen.
The survey results of working environment in offshore fishing vessels show that offshore fishermen mainly work outdoors, day and night, working time is not fixed. The microclimate conditions on board are relatively harsh. There are 54.62% out of the 2,296 locations measured have the microclimate conditions exceeding the allowable hygienic standards. The highest temperature reaches to 40oC. The humidity in 73.3% of respective 2,296 locations measured does not meet the allowable hygienic standards. Especially, when working on the sea, outdoor radiation is very high (the surveyed results show that the radiation in 47.24% of 1,179 locations measured is over allowable hygienic standards).
Fishermen work in low light conditions. The most serious fact is working alone at night, which can endanger the live of workers. There are night shifts that fishermen completely work alone in the dark. In general, the survey results show that the lighting in a 63.56% of 2,188 assessed locations do not meet the allowable hygienic standards.
Vessel shaking is an important factor causing working accidents for fishermen. The fishing process takes place mainly on the deck. Under the influence of sea waves, the vessels always oscillate that could cause slip and fall-down accident into the sea (according to survey results on 20 vessels, there are 10 cases of fall-down into the sea). Due to technical constraint, the study can not measure the vibration of vessels due to sea waves so it is not possible to accurately assess the its impact on fishermen. This study has investigated only local vibration caused by equipment operation in the machinery cellar that directly affects domestic places of fishermen. According to the survey, there are 4,61% of 1,019 measuring points exceeding the allowable hygienic standards.
Permanent noise has adverse impact on the workers’ health, which is responsible for effects on the nervous system causing inaccurate human activity and leading to working accidents. Noise on fishing vessels mainly comes from the vessel’s engine and waves. There are 25.3% of 2,496 measuring points that exceed the allowable hygienic standards. The highest noise level reaches 111dBA.
Survey results of toxic gas concentrations show that on board there appeared some toxic gases that exceed the allowable hygienic standards (NO2 and SO2 gases). There are 4.15% of 2,000 measuring points for NO2; 0.67% of 448 measuring points for CO2 and 4.15% of 2,000 measuring points for SO2 exceeding the allowable hygienic standards.
The initial results of the research team show that offshore fishermen in the Central Coast are working in harsh environment that may have negative impacts on health and psycho-physiology. Therefore, in order to ensure the health and safety of fishermen, the shipowners and fishermen must first have a sense of self-protection in the course of their work, promptly prevent dangerous elements caused by unsafe equipment, machines and have the assignment, checking the work process on board. Production and business establishments must organize risk assessment on work safety and hygiene in order to develop measures to prevent incidents and accidents in the course of operation.
Based on the results of the initial research, the research team proposes scientific and technological solutions with the following content: Develop occupational risk management program; further study for classification of working conditions of fishermen on offshore fishing vessels; study occupational health of offshore fishermen; research on improving propulsion system of vessels, safety equipment systems on vessels; research rescue equipment; research contents and forms of propaganda and training on occupational safety and health and professional education and training for fishermen.
Ph.D. Nhan Hong Quang
Vietnam National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (VNNIOSH)
(Source: nilp.vn)
