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compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
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It's quite surprising to discover in the early 21st Century that one of the oldest industries in the world, fishing, is the source of the highest proportion of work-related injury and industrial accident in Europe.
The highest proportional industrial sector in Britain for accidents is agriculture and second place both at home and in European nations is, less surprisingly, the construction industry.
Apart from the fish and chip shop on the corner, most UK residents connect fishing with a quiet afternoon on a river bank rather than a major food-producing industry, employing thousands of people who daily go into danger to bring home supplies of fish for all to buy and cook. That may be the case in our islands, especially now so many of our commercial fishing boats have been grounded because of EU regulations but it is not true for many Continental countries.
Wherever there is a coastline abutting the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean or Mediterranean, there will be men and some women who risk their lives and limbs to go to sea, often in fairly small boats. Drowning is the most obvious cause of death among fisherfolk and there are numerous ways for this to happen.
Storms and squalls can spring up suddenly and even experienced weather-watchers can be caught out by rising winds and waves buffeting their vessel, sometimes finding a weak point in the structure or a freak occurrence leading to a capsize.
Fishermen wear heavy protective clothing to keep out the worst of the elements but should he either fall or be washed overboard wearing such clothes is likely to drag him down. It is not unknown for a ship's fishing nets to become entangled with an underwater obstruction, or even a submarine, and, unless the nets can be cut quickly, the whole boat could be pulled into the sea.
In flat calm there are plenty of dangers of an industrial accident occurring because of the manual nature of commercial fishing. Hands could be trapped and damaged in nets, winches or other onboard apparatus and broken limbs through slips, trips and falls on deck and moving round the ship are also likely.
Hazards of lobsters, crabs, sharks and jellyfish
Protective gloves may save a fisherman from being given a nip by a lobster or crab but small sharks and jellyfish are among other sea creatures which might not appreciate being hauled up from their watery home and man-handled and inflict a nasty injury.
Then, there are the usual hazards of life on board a small boat, such as burns from cooking accidents, flying debris and the fact that almost everything is made from metal means a hard impact anytime a human makes contact.
Of course, not being on land makes it more difficult for fishermen to be treated for any injuries or illness which occur at sea and a delay in reaching help could make a victim's condition worse.
As regards responsibility for this range of sea-borne hazards, of course, the usual caveat applies of people having a duty to look after themselves and many fishermen are self-employed and only work at a local level.
However, most of those who work on the larger boats which go out into deeper waters for weeks at a time and store their catch in onboard freezers are employees to whom their employers and captains owe a duty of care. Health and safety regulations may be tailored to their particular situation but still need to be complied with and, should a workplace accident occur, procedures involving a compensation claim for the victim will be the same as on dry land.
Although going to sea to earn your living is not a choice of work which everyone would make, for those who are involved in the fishing industry they are as much entitled to be protected from hazards liable to cause personal injury as someone in a quiet, pleasant office or car assembly line.
The rest of us can also be grateful that they are willing to do so and risk having a work-related accident in such a hazardous industry but allow us to continue enjoying our favourite takeaway.
