Researchers from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health have condcted a unique study to find out the most preferable PFDs for the fishermen. In this effort they interviewed 400 fishermen who used four different gear types – trawls, crab pots, longlines and gillnets. It is observed that two hundred fishermen tested different types of PFDs for a month and among all the fishermen, the favourite was a Mustang inflatable work vest.
NIOSH research coordinator Jennifer Lincoln said that it works automatically because of water pressure not from a dissolvable tablet. She added that it’s made for commercial fishermen. Mustang actually designed it for comfort thinking a fisherman would wear it. The study was conducted because 25 percent of commercial fishing fatalities are due to falls overboard. Though other types of fatalities have declined in the past five years, deaths from falls overboard have not. No one who died from falling overboard was wearing a PFD. However, no organizations keep track of people who are saved when wearing PFDs.
The researchers have tested six different types of flotation devices. Four were inflatable and two were made of light-weight foam. Three of them were integrated into raingear and three were worn on top. According to Lincoln the preliminary data shows that most fishermen liked a Mustang inflatable work vest the best overall. She told that favorite PFDs have been identified that fir the fishermen’s needs, wearing them needs to be enforced.
