Groundfish Assessment Program Safety Manual
April 24, 2018
The staff of the RACE Groundfish Assessment Program conducts fieldwork in a potentially dangerous environment: on small vessels floating in a very cold ocean. This At-Sea Safety Manual, developed by the RACE/REFM At Sea Safety Committee, identifies unsafe situations and practices that we face in our everyday field activities. Rules and strategies have been devised to minimize the dangers they present.
The Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering (RACE) and the Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management (REFM) Divisions of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) conducts fieldwork in hazardous environments, operating on small vessels in frigid Alaskan waters. The RACE/REFM At Sea Safety Committee was originally formed by sea-going employees to investigate the unique risks and solutions of such field work by the individuals closest to the issue.
The Committee developed this At-Sea Safety Manual to nurture safe working practices in the field. The manual identifies unsafe situations and behaviors that workers typically encounter in the performance of their duties at sea. The manual provides guidelines to minimize the occurrence and severity of potentially life-threatening situations. Awareness of hazards and following these guidelines will help reduce the chance of injury to you and those around you. The manual will be a “living” document, incorporating suggestions from all who use it.