UK: Vessel stability monitor can reduce the risk of mishaps at sea

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UK: Vessel stability monitor can reduce the risk of mishaps at sea

Wednesday, 04 August 2010 08:51

The results of a study carried out by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch analyzing fishing accidents in the UK between 1992 and 2006 revealed that around 60 per cent of vessel losses at sea are due to foundering or capsizing, and stated that the fatal accident rate for UK fishermen from 1996 to 2005 was 115 times higher than that for the general workforce in the country as a whole. The results were published at the end of 2008. The study also showed that while the accident rate in other industries has been declining in recent years, there has been no corresponding reduction in the UK fishing industry.

Foundering and capsizing are associated with a loss of vessel stability, a parameter that can change due to overloading, poorly designed modifications to the vessel, water ingress, the development of ice on the superstructure, or for other reasons. A Scotland company, Hook Marine, has developed a device that monitors the stability of the vessel while at sea issuing a warning when a potentially dangerous situation develops. The device, the SeaWise Vessel Stability Monitor, was developed with assistance from Seafish, a public body for the UK seafood sector, and has generated interest in markets in the Netherlands, Ireland, Canada, and the US apart from the UK, says the company. The device will be eligible for European Fisheries Fund grant support for fishermen purchasing and installing the device on their vessels.

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