Fishing vessel cyclone plans must be in place
With the first tropical cyclone forming off the North-West coast recently fishing companies are reminded to ensure that ‘cyclone contingency plans’ have been established and are in operation for your vessel and set out in your safety management system (SMS).
WorkSafe WA requires everyone on both sea and land needs to have safe systems of work in place when operating in a cyclone region.
Legislation requires employers to have adequate plans in place and must provide employees with appropriate training in emergency procedures to protect everyone in the workplace when a cyclone threatens. It’s extremely important that everyone in a workplace knows exactly what they need to do in the event of a cyclone threat.
The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast an average number of tropical cyclones in the waters off the North-West coast this season but has added that there is a greater risk of cyclones being severe due to higher-than-average ocean temperatures.
Fishing vessels need to keep a list of sheltered anchorages and have information on how to use them, along with a specific action plan for each vessel depending on the distance from the cyclone and the safe harbour selected.
The Department of Transport has cyclone contingency plans for regional boat harbours along the WA coast, which can be viewed here.
Further information on cyclone contingency plans can be found on WorkSafe’s website.