First Aid demos and free safety kit on offer at events for Northern Irish fishing industry
Following last year’s successful events, this year’s safety roadshow will focus on first aid advice and guidance and how to check lifesaving safety equipment such as Personal Flotation Devices (PFDs) and Personal Locator Beacons (PLBs).
Those attending will receive a new waterproof First Aid at Sea manual and a first aid instructor will run sessions on using a life-saving defibrillator for both fishermen and the wider fishing community.
There will be information on safety training courses including how to register for the popular Man Overboard Awareness events.
Other free safety kit will be available to pick up including rope cutter knives and man overboard ladder bags.
Dates and venues for the safety roadshow are:
| Venue | Date | Time |
| Portavogie John Warnock Centre | Friday 2 December |
2-5pm |
| Ardglass Fish Market | Friday 9 December |
9.30am-12.30pm |
| Kilkeel Nautilus Visitor Centre | Friday 9 December |
3-6pm |
| Toomebridge Lough Neagh Fishermen’s Co-op | Thursday 16 December |
2-5pm |
| Ballycastle Harbour Office | Friday 17 December |
10am-1pm |
The events are run by the Sea Fish Industry Training Association Northern Ireland, in partnership with Seafish and the Northern Ireland Fishermen’s Safety Forum.
Fisherman Jim Young attended an event in Portavogie last December. He said:
The roadshow was a great opportunity to talk about safety with representatives from the RNLI and MCA. I received free safety equipment which have enhanced safety onboard my single-handed inshore fishing vessel. There was also an opportunity to sign up for Man Overboard training in Cork. Having attended a similar event in the past I would encourage all fishermen to attend one of the sessions in December. It highlights the dangers of falling overboard, the effects of cold-water shock and the importance of always wearing your life jacket.
Sally Chamberlain, Northern Ireland Regional Manager at Seafish:
We had over 130 people attend our events last year. It was a chance to share information about safety training and other safety hints and tips with each other. It was also a lovely opportunity to have a chat over a cup of tea and we would welcome anyone to come along again and pick up some free safety kit.
The events are free and anyone who works on a commercial fishing vessel can drop-in at any time. The defibrillator training is available to anyone from the wider harbour community.
Further information
For further information, please email sally.chamberlain@seafish.co.uk or juanita@sfitaportavogie.co.uk
The events are funded by the Department of Environment, Agriculture and Rural Affairs through the Maritime and Fisheries Fund.
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