Although fishing vessels only make up some 14 per cent of RNLI call outs, more fishermen die at sea than any other group of sea user. It is widely recognised that fishing is the most dangerous industry in the worldIt was in 1994 that the RNLI formed the Sea Safety team, but the lifeboat service has been committed to accident prevention for over 140 years, h 1860 the RNLI provided barometers to fishermen on the coast and the Lifeboat reported: 'A good barometer in a public situation would warn them in time what to expect, and they could thus be frequently able to avoid the terrible consequences of storms, so often at present fatal to them.' Sea Safety has come a long way since the 19th century, but the death rate is still high for commercial fishermen. Recent research suggests that British fishermen are 50 times more likely to have a fatal accident than the average worker (data collected by Stephen Roberts, department of public health, Oxford University).

In 2001, the RNLI distributed hundreds of questionnaires to ask fishermen themselves what they thought. They were asked: 1. In order of priority, list your top five concerns about the fishing industry today 2. What would you like the RNLI's priorities to be in helping the fishing industry? Safety was second only to quotas in the list of their concerns. With just over 35 per cent, safety is clearly a key concern for the industry. In response to the question about where the RNLI can help, the most common answer was with training and education.

The RNLI is taking these messages on board with the fishing safety initiative.

Building on the successes of the RNLI's accident prevention campaigns over the last eight years, the RNLI plans to do all it can to help reduce the number of deaths and serious accidents in the fishing industry.

By increasing levels of safety awareness through training and education, the RNLI hopes to prevent accidents happening in the first place. As nearly 80 per cent of incidents where lives were lost were caused by capsize, swamping or man overboard, the RNLI will also try to minimise the effects of accidents by encouraging effective use of lifejackets and liferafts.

Commenting on the new service, Ian Benham, the RNLI's water safety manager, says: 'Bearing in mind our very long historical relationship with the fishing industry, it's a natural progression for the RNLI to do all we can to help improve safety in an industry that operates in such a hostile environment. As a lifesaving organisation, we have only one interest - the saving of lives - and the fact that we have no hidden agenda is recognised by fishermen. We offer the arm of assistance in the provision of safety advice just the same as we offer the arm of assistance in a rescue situation.'Safety on the road The RNLI already provides practical demonstrations of key safety equipment and procedures including the use of distress flares, and an introduction to liferafts and hydrostatic release units. To reach a wider audience, a 6m roadshow unit is touring major fishing ports throughout 2002 and 2003. The new unit can also double as a venue for the free safety training courses currently being offered by Seafish.

From Padstow and Plymouth to Cardiff and Kilfybegs, in 2002 the unit visited many towns and villages and attended many of the country's major maritime festivals. According to Cliff Downing, who has taken the unit on the road, the initiative has been very well received by fishermen. Cliff explained: 'On our travels this year we have met a good number of fishermen ... Outside the fish market in Plymouth, interest in the roadshow started very slowly until t was realised That we were not there to show the fishermen how to fish.' Such occasions have proved successful both for the water safety teams and in fundraising terms.

Lifejackets and liferafts One of the main practical issues affecting safety is the reluctance of many fishermen to wear lifejackets at all times when on deck. Lifejackets have saved the lives of many fishermen over the years, and there are now a number of working suits that have built in lifejackets and buoyancy aids. While the lifejackets increase safety in the water, with some types of fishing the various attachments can be dangerous on deck, for example when shooting nets or lines.

The RNLI is familiar with such problems, as lifeboat crew were not initially keen to wear lifejackets at all times on deck. The Institution is discussing with Seafish and the industry to see if a suitably cost-effective lifejacket/buoyancy aid for fishermen that will not get in the way of fishing can be developed.

In any event, the RNLI recommends that lifejackets should be regularly maintained and always accessible. The same maintenance procedures apply to liferafts and Hydrostatic Release Units. If the worst comes to the worst, liferafts could be the last hope of staying alive while waiting for help. They should be checked regularly to make sure that they are in date for servicing, replaced when dates are expired and stowed correctly,' recommends Ian Benham.

Deck safety With so much hazardous activity on deck, shooting gear and hauling the catch, the slightest lapse in concentration can result in serious injury. In the RNLI safety advice, fishermen are therefore reminded to be aware of the dangers of deck machinery such as winches, power blocks and drums and ensure that the crew work safely and wear suitable protective and lifesaving clothing.

Fishing alone The risks of working single-handed are obvious.

The RNLI warns fishermen that if adequate precautions are not taken, a minor incident can easily and quickly develop into a tragedy when there is nobody around to help. When working alone, personal safety measures are particularly important. It is also essential to remember to take emergency equipment such as a first aid kit, warm clothing, communications equipment, EPIRBS and flares, and water.

Confidential position reporting A shocking 8 per cent of fishing fatalities are only signalled when boats are reported overdue, so plans are under way to investigate the development of a satellite-based confidential position reporting system. In the strict interest of reducing such incidents and to be able to respond quickly to other life-threatening scenarios, the system will enable the RNLI to monitor regular location signals transmitted from beacons fitted to fishing vessels. Whilst a technical trial and the financial implications of such a system are being considered, it is being stressed that the position of fishing boats and information on their movements will only be shared with other emergency services if a life is at risk.

Training The RNLI is working closely with Seafish. This organisation provides sea survival, first aid at sea and fire fighting and prevention certificated courses at which attendance is a mandatory requirement for any fisherman going to sea. For new entrants there is a basic health and safety course and for the experienced fishermen a safety awareness course incorporating risk assessment.

Ian Benham was a member of the working group that developed these courses and he commented: 'Safety training is vital in an industry that operates in an environment where one mistake can prove fatal. The RNLI is pleased to be working with our partners in the industry to help improve the quality and effectiveness of this training.' Working with Seafish and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, the RNLI is producing quality safety training videos and publications. Ian adds: 'In the past, some fishing safety training course videos have been over 20/25 years old and were designed for a merchant shipping audience. We are helping to produce a new video that presents critical safety messages in a fishing environment so that the impact of the video is maximised. In addition, we are helping to produce quality safety publications and booklets that can help to make the safety messages gained in these courses 'stick' in the mind of the fishermen.'The RNLI is a member of the Fishing Safety Promotions Group, which has produced a leaflet for the industry on how to save money on surveys, a pocket-sized Safe Fishing Guide, a free pocket diary and is currently working on a revised version of a fishermen and safety booklet.

Fishing safety coordinators In order to bring the above initiatives to fruition, the RNLI is appointing two fishing safety coordinators (one in Scotland; one in the South West) to provide regular safety seminars and practical demonstrations at fishing ports and most importantly to develop the RNLI's relationship with fishermen.

Government and industry liaison The RNLI is committed to doing everything it can in partnership with key organisations, agencies, and associations/federations to help drive down the number of deaths and serious accidents in the industry. As a member of the Fishing Safety Promotions Group, the RNLI advises the Fishing Industry Safety Group, which includes members of NFFO, SFF and NIFF, as well as DEFRA, MCA, MAIS, Seafish, Marconi and the Department for Transport. It is important for all to recognise that commercial pressures are ever present, but often some inexpensive measures such as safety checks can help. Fishermen themselves are best placed to look after safety and the industry wants to give them its full support.

One fishing death is one too many. Fishing will always be one of the most hazardous industries, but the RNLI hopes that by increasing levels of safety awareness among fishermen, it will prevent more lives being lost..