Autumn/Winter dates announced for more Man Overboard Awareness events
Due to popular demand, we are running 10 more Man Overboard Awareness events this Autumn and Winter.
Booking is now open for the following locations and dates:
- Aberdeen: 18, 19 and 20 November
- Lowestoft: 30 November, 1 and 2 December
- Fleetwood: 10 and 11 February
- South Shields: 1 and 2 March
The Man overboard Awareness events are run by the RNLI in environmental training pools. Anyone working on a commercial fishing vessel is encouraged to book the fully funded events. Spaces are limited so early sign up is recommended.
To book a place at an event, email the Fishermen’s Training team at Seafish at training@seafish.co.uk or call Katie Hooper on 07966 764151 or Lee Haigh on 07904 660484.
At present, commercial fishers can attend these voluntary events free-of-charge, with all travel, subsistence and accommodation costs reimbursed, plus a £200 training grant provided. However, these are likely to be the last events delivered under the current funding. It is hoped that more events will take place in future, but the funding rules may change.
Falling overboard is the biggest single cause of workplace fatalities in the fishing industry. In 2021, 10 fishermen tragically lost their lives at sea. Five of these were recorded as man overboard fatalities by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.
These MOB Awareness events enable commercial fishers to experience what going overboard might be like. This is done using special environmental pools with rain, wind and wave machines that make the experience as realistic as possible.
The events highlight the importance of wearing a personal flotation device (PFD) when working on deck and reinforce the need to do regular MOB safety and recovery drills.
It was an excellent course that was interesting and informative and provided a realistic in the water Man Overboard simulation.
“I think that enabling as many fishermen as possible to be able to experience the difference between immersion with and without a PFD is key to changing attitudes towards wearing PFDs at sea.
The response we have had from the 335 fishermen who have attended previous events has been amazing. Without exception, the experience has made everyone more safety conscious and understanding of why they need to wear a PFD.
Although this is the last wave of events we can deliver under the current round of funding, we hope the fishing industry will want to see them continue. However, I would urge anyone interested to sign up now, as any future events may not be so generously funded.