The increased production of Atlantic salmon in Norway has led to a need for more efficient production methods. One consequence is an increase in the use of specialized services and companies that are hired to assist in fish farming operations. These are mainly vessel-based operations such as delousing and counting fish, and maintenance operations of the fish farm equipment. This presentation discusses the results from an analysis of occupational fatalities and a recent OHS survey in the Norwegian fish farming industry, with a focus on the accidents that happen in the interorganizational interface between fish farms and independent vessels.
Findings from registered fatal accidents in the Norwegian fish farming industry and a digital OHS survey sent to fish farming employees in the period May to August 2023 are presented.
In the period 1982-2022, 38 fatal accidents were registered by SINTEF Oceans in the fish farming industry (Holmen and Holen, 2023). Figure 1 shows that in the two ten-year periods from 1982, the majority of the fatal accidents happened during transportation. In the last ten-year period, 2012-2022, lift operations and maintenance are more prevalent. These operations are often performed in collaboration between operators on fish farms and hired, independent service vessels.
In an OHS survey among fish farm workers, 66% of the respondents working on independent vessels think that inadequate collaboration with fish farmers is a threat against safety (Thorvaldsen et al., 2023). 56 % of the employees on vessels answer that the fish farmers’ demand for efficiency sometimes leads to breaking of safety procedures.
These findings indicate a need to focus on safety in the operations where fish farmers and vessels collaborate. Learning from other industries points towards disorganization, dilution of competence and economic pressures as important factors to monitor (Milch and Laumann, 2016).
Literature
Holmen, I.M. and Holen, S.M. (2023) Occupational accidents in fish farming - analysis of registered occupational accidents on fish farms and vessels. (Arbeidsulykker i havbruk - Analyser av registrerte personulykker på havbruksanlegg og -fartøy). 2023:01396. Trondheim.
Milch, V. and Laumann, K. (2016) ‘Interorganizational complexity and organizational accident risk: A literature review’, Safety Science, 82, pp. 9–17. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2015.08.010.
Thorvaldsen, T. et al. (2023) The HSE-survey in fish farming 2023 (HMS-undersøkelsen i havbruk 2023). 2023:01362. Trondheim.