The newly introduced code of practice, Man Overboard: Prevention and Response, which has been devised by Western Australia''s Commission for Occupational Safety and Health for adoption by the fishing industry in the region, specifically highlighted VHF DSC technology, which is only available in Mobilarm''s V100 VHF Locator Beacon, as the most suitable for quickly raising the alarm should a crew member fall off a vessel.
"It's reassuring that the code of practice recognises the speed of a MOB alert is vital to securing a fast rescue and that immediate alarms to crew are the recommended measure," said Lindsay Lyon, CEO of Perth-based Mobilarm.
"The V100 is the only locator beacon to offer this possibility, thanks to its unique use of VHF as the alert mechanism. Once activated, the V100 immediately alerts the victims own vessel via its VHF radio and other vessels within VHF range, as opposed to alerting a shore station, which then has to alert vessels at the scene, which takes time that the person in the water cannot spare."
Mobilarm V100 uses automatic VHF alerts and GPS positioning to ensure fast rescue.
The pocket-sized unit is attached to clothing or integrated with lifejackets and is automatically water-activated when the wearer has gone overboard, sending out a distress message and real time GPS coordinates of the casualty's current position via VHF DSC and in a synthesized voice on channel 16.
“The V100 is already being used by crew aboard a wide variety of vessels including workboats, offshore supply vessels, pilot boats and tug boats and although the code has been introduced for the Western Australia fishing industry,” said Lyon.
The new code of practice makes Western Australia the first Australian state or territory to introduce a man overboard code of practice for the commercial fishing industry.
The code details safety guidelines to prevent falls on commercial vessels as well as emergency responses for man overboard incidents. It was developed in response to deaths arising from man overboard incidents and recommendations by the state coroner in a report on a death in 2006.
There have been 44 deaths In the Western Australia fishing industry since 1988.
The code states: “A procedure or system to immediately alert crew that a person has fallen overboard is an important part of a vessel's emergency system to ensure falls are quickly detected and crew only remain in the water for a short period of time. The longer a person is in the water the harder it will be to locate them, affecting their chances of survival.”
It goes on to recommend a solution that can raise an immediate alarm should a MOB incident occur: “...a radio transmission man overboard system that sets of an automatic alarm when somebody goes overboard.”
