Funded Training | Man Overboard Awareness Events | Seafish

Man Overboard Awareness Events

A series of training events to make those working on fishing vessels more aware of the dangers of man overboard incidents. 

This page has information on:

What to expect
Upcoming training events
Funding and costs 
How to book
Further information 

Falling overboard is the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the fishing industry. In 2021, ten fishermen tragically lost their lives at sea. Six of these were recorded as man overboard fatalities by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.  

What to expect 

The in-water awareness events, in partnership with the RNLI, explain how to reduce the risk in going overboard and what can be done to improve the chances of survival. Participants will experience a man overboard emergency under controlled conditions. The pools use wind, rain and waves to make the experience more realistic.

A group of men in a training swimming pool with flotation devices on as part of a training exercise.
The environment pools aim to create some of the conditions experienced at sea with a wave machine and rain.

Each one-day event will have a variable start time but will allow for attendees to travel to and from the venue in one day.

This will be confirmed as part of your booking.

The sessions will cover:

  • Causes of falling overboard
  • How to prevent falling overboard
  • How to improve chance of survival if you do fall overboard
  • Jumping into the pool with clothes and oilskins on, with and without a personal flotation device on.
  • Practise climbing into a life raft
  • Practise with the lines, tyres and a ladder to pull you out of the water.
Unforgettable day yesterday, most useful safety course I’ve ever been on.
Previous participant

Get a first-hand account of what the training day will involve from one Shetland crew, by visiting the Fishing News website using the link below. 

Katie Hooper, our Fishermen's Training Advisor, wanted to find out more about Man Overboard awareness events and decided to complete the training. Katie shares her experience and what to expect in our video below. 

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Information on what to expect at a Man Overboard awareness event.

Upcoming training events

The current venues and dates for training courses are listed below. Spaces are limited so early sign up is recommended.   

Venue  Dates  Contact
Falcarragh, Donegal: Errigal Training Centre 10 February 2024 Sally Chamberlain: 07866 141872
Poole: RNLI College 27 and 28 March 2024 Katie Hooper: 07966 764151
Aberdeen: 3T Training Services 14-15 March 2024 Lee Haigh: 07904 660484

Contact the relevant organiser to book a place on the event you would like to attend or if you have any questions email: training@seafish.co.uk

Funding and costs 

There is no charge for attending. The cost of delivering these events is being met by Seafish and the RNLI. Seafish will also reimburse reasonable travel and subsistence costs.

Further information 

These events have been provided as part of our work with the Fishing Industry Safety Group. Information on staying safe at sea, including videos on completing Risk Assessments and Man Overboard Drills are available by visiting the Fishing Industry Safety Group website on the following link below. 

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