Safety
MANAGING SHARKS IN THE WORKPLACE Abalone diving has a reputation for being one of the most dangerous occupations on land or sea. The reality, however, is very different says John Minehan, an abalone diver and leading advocate for safer working practices in the industry. By Simon Enticknap Another day at the office: Mallacoota diver Wade Bowerman removing sea urchins – Photograph by Holly Baird
Commercial fishing in open waters to collect abalone has many inherent dangers. Often the divers work alone underwater with a single deckhand on board a support vessel. Diving in dense kelp forests in cold water, the work is physically and mentally demanding. The divers are at risk of exhaustion and disorientation underwater as well as the very real threat of shark encounters. However, John Minehan said that compared to other high-risk workplace activities, abalone diving should be seen as a low-risk occupation. ‘Most operators would regard their job as relatively low-risk,’ he said. ‘The reason for that is we have an exceptional safety record. There has been very little serious injury or death in the abalone industry, particularly in Eastern Victoria. It compares very favourably with the risks you might face, for example, working on a construction site.’ 15
Working Boats May 2020
John harvests abalone in Victoria’s eastern fishery for about six months of the year between April and November. He operates out of Mallacoota, NSW along with several other abalone divers who collectively run AFCOL Australia Limited (previously known as the Abalone Fishermen’s Co-operative). Managed by a strict quota system, abalone caught in the East Gippsland waters are processed in Mallacoota at the AFCOL Australia plant, with the majority of product being exported to Asia. According to John, a key risk that abalone divers have to manage is the remoteness of their operations. John and the other local abalone operators manage this in a number of different ways. Before heading out, all divers must log their destination with the processing plant and sign off again on their return. They also share their locations with other divers and, if more than one is operating in the same area, they maintain contact with each other while on the water. ‘We’re all aware that as a group we have
to look after one another so we do check in with each other regularly,’ said John. While emergency drills are the responsibility of the individual divers as part of their safety management systems, the industry also runs first aid courses with local paramedics and emergency services to give divers and their deckhands the skills needed to respond to an emergency situation. John said safety awareness among divers is as much a habit as it is a list of do’s and don’ts. Regular inspection routines help to make safety second nature, always checking and doublechecking to ensure equipment is working properly. Boat construction has also contributed to improved safety in recent years, with all boats now having to meet commercial survey specifications and be inspected every five years. Weather forecasting has advanced immeasurably with information available through the official Bureau of Meteorology channels or a range of weather apps providing real-time data about conditions.
