An ergonomic assessment of small boat lobster fishing.

Fishing is a high-risk occupation: among these risks is the high frequency of work-related musculoskeletal injury. While the industry is regulated world-wide, the safety focus is on larger vessels, which is significant given that the vast majority of commercial fishing is carried out by crews using smaller vessels. There is also very little research investigating impact of such activity on the health and wellbeing of small boat fishers. Given that such operations are less industrialised and involve strenuous physical labour over long hours, this area deserves further study. This paper describes a case study of small boat lobster fishing off the North East coast of Scotland. A flexible approach combined task and postural analysis with qualitative data, identifying task elements posing particular risks to musculoskeletal health and suggesting strategies for risk reduction