The Newfoundland and Labrador Fish Harvesters Safety Association (NL-FHSA) has launched its new Fishing Vessel Safety Designate (FVSD) Program, which is free for all N.L. fish harvesters.
The program, according to NL-FHSA Executive Director Brenda Greenslade, was designed to fill a knowledge gap in safety education in the province.
“Of the training that was being delivered, there was none specific to fish harvesters, which is really important because you can’t take somebody who works in a mining or forestry operation and expect them to be able to transfer back and forth between different industries,” said Greenslade. “For the most part, they had their own specific training, and fish harvesters needed to have that as well.”
With the mission to deliver fisher-focused training to N.L., the NL-FHSA set out to create a program that is not just for harvesters, but also delivered by harvesters. To do this, the association travelled around the province to recruit local harvesters to help deliver their safety modules.
“We were everywhere. The only places we never got to were the Burin Peninsula, the Connaigre Peninsula and we never got up around Bonavista and Twillingate. But we were everywhere. And that was important, because this was about harvesters teaching harvesters about their environment and the risks that they face in health and safety,” said Greenslade.
“We went after the leaders in the industry — the inshore council people, the people who stand up and stand out and talk about the key issues. As a result of going to the different communities and visiting the different wharves, we found out very quickly who our leaders were, informally, in their communities.”
The FVSD program consists of 11 modules, which cover topics such as regulatory requirements, crew orientation and training, evaluating the risk and hazards of the N.L. fishing industry and workplace inspections.
“It was making people aware of what their legislative responsibilities were, but going further than that and educating harvesters and making them aware of what their personal responsibilities were for safety,” said Greenslade. “That’s huge, because they’re the decision makers on the wharf, in the vessel, when they’re going to go out, when the weather changes and when they’re going to come back, what risks they face, what species they’re catching, what tools they’re using and what the risks of that are.”
The FVSD program by the NL-FHSA is free for all N.L. fish harvesters or anyone working in the fishing industry, and is accessible by a computer, smartphone or tablet. In total, the course takes around six hours to complete, and can be paused and resumed at any time.
“We’ve really tried to make it simple. If you have difficulty with comprehension and reading — not a problem — this is all auditory, as well. So, you listen, and people will speak to the information,” said Greenslade.
“The easiest way to get into the training, I call three clicks. One, you go into our website (www.nlfhsa.com). As you go into the website, you get a pop-up screen which is about the Fishing Vessel Safety Designate Training. You click that, and it takes you into the training and gives you the background on the information, what its about, how you can take it and at the bottom of that there’s a click — ‘begin training.’”
Once you’ve completed the training, you’ll be certified as a fishing vessel safety designate. Beyond that, the FVSD is worth five land-based education credits with the Professional Fish Harvesters Certification Board. The first 1,000 people to complete the FVSD will also receive a pre-registered personal locator beacon (PLB), valued at $500, free of charge.
“There is no registration costs associated with this beacon. You will apply to the Fish Harvesting Safety Association, say that you have completed the training, say that you are a current Professional Fish Harvester Certification member — which means you are currently fishing and have paid your registration fees — and we will give you a beacon,” said Greenslade.
“We will do all the work of getting the emergency information that’s required that goes along with this beacon, and we will register the beacon for you at the Canadian Beacon Registry and send it in the mail.”
Anyone with questions or concerns about the FVSD process can contact the NL-FHSA at (709) 722-8177 for assistance during working hours. For more information on the FVSD, visit www.nlfhsa.com.
