The safety of people and their integrity is one of the most important things to take into account in any job, from which it implies less to greater risk. However, we must not forget that the law on prevention of occupational hazards includes the right of all employees to be monitored by their health in terms of the risks to which they are subjected in their workplace as an obligation for the employer to guarantee Tsar that this is Fulfilled.
With the passing of the years and the advances that have been getting, going to sea has become an increasingly safe task. However, there are still many challenges to be taken and faced to increase security and ensure the personal integrity of each of the workers in this GROUP. This situation is, without a doubt, a great concern for the public administrations, who have prioritized among their policies of prevention of occupational risks to this Sector. Nevertheless, fishing continues to be one of the activities with the highest incidence of fatal accidents and the fishing modality with the highest incidence of serious/fatal accidents is that of trawling, followed by longline, fence and fishing with Minor Arts.
Specifically, the Labour safety of workers in the fishing maritime sector in Spain is governed by a broad spectrum of standards in the areas of safety of navigation (maritime Safety) and occupational safety and health (safety and Health on board). These two areas are closely related as the risks of navigation and occupational hazards form an inseparable set that affects the safety of the ship and that of the workers on Board. The rules that emanate from these two areas must be understood as a whole when establishing preventive programs in Companies.
Prevention of occupational hazards, priority for Cepesca and UGT
In this line, on September 27 the Spanish Confederation of Fisheries (CEPESCA) and the Port Maritime Union of the State Federation of services, Mobility and consumption (FeSMC) of UGT have initiated two actions to raise awareness on risk prevention Labour (PRL) in the fishing sector for small businesses. These actions include a hundred visits to vessels in Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria; aiming to foment the culture of prevention in this sector and thus to try to reduce the accidents in this activity. Apart from raising awareness and sensitizing workers and shipowners, these actions also seek to provide the crew with the right of information, consultation and participation in preventive matters. To the elderly, the aim is to promote the fulfilment of the obligations in this area, with fishing companies with fewer than 50 workers and having no trade union Representation. Chronologically speaking, these actions began in the month of September and will continue until April 2019.
In this line, the strategy-aligned with the national plan of sensitization and health at work for the fishing Sector, developed by the CNSST, within the plan of action 2017-2018 of the Spanish strategy of safety and health at work 2015-2020-also addresses (a) promote the proper use of rescue, survival and fire-fighting devices in Vessels.
