Lives are lost in the construction industry every year. Falling from heights is top on the list. One of the main safeguards is the obligatory wearing of safety harnesses hooked using extendible lanyards. In the past many “macho men” of construction died falling from heights. Look at the death stats for constructing the Brooklyn Bridge. Immense. That’s how far we would have to go back 110 years to witness the appalling disregard for the fisherman’s safety by captains and charge-hands as depicted on this show.

Fishermen risking their lives climbing over and securing safety baskets risking being washed into the sea away by 20 foot waves. No restraint. Total disregard for human lives.

Of course the channel and their cameras are as responsible as the captains, by exploiting, exacerbating dangerous practices to increase viewing. If anyone does fall in and drowns and this could have been prevented if safe practices were adopted such as tying off then who is the criminal. Certainly not the dead fisherman who does not know any better but to follow directions. Who is left? The Captain. to be sure this is the individual who does much boasting about working extended shifts - 20 hours without sleep and working in those conditions is CRIMINAL. And of course the Channel, who also would have expert representation - would they be party.

The reaction - Tie off to what? - the crane boom is constantly moving. A tie may prevent a deck hand from fleeing to safety or it may catch somebody or entangle someone. My answer to this is that there is always a way to make an activity a safe one. There will always be room for flexible lines (wire rope) and tie off points. The winch system for retrieving pots is a shambolic and a criminal set-up.

I can imagine those work contracts at who’s risk?. I can read the tension in the captains faces when they know their deckhands are at high risk due to exhaustion, placing themselves in dangerous and precarious positions. Once a captain called to deckhands to tie a line someone leaning over to free the puller arm - trained staff would not put themselves in these positions - criminal. In another scene deckhands are scaling the baskets with a shear drop to the sea with nothing to secure them from falling. So frail our skin and bones and yet so expendable.

Macho acts + greed greed and more greed = surefire death. The greedier they are the more risks. Saving the anchor was about the most pathetic scene I have witnessed. An impossible mechanical fix resulting in near miss by catastrophic failure. Sitting in the tower witnessing the lives of men being put to risk to save an anchor. This by itself is a criminal act, driven by greed. Shame on them.

So - are these captains really heroes of the sea, brave men who take on the might of nature. No, to my mind they are merely criminals, driven by averace. Where is the OSHA of the Sea?

So when work stops for a few moments of silence in preyer to remember a lost hand or colleague on another boat, a tear in the eye, even more viewers looking on, or I say to the captains who may have allowed this to happen through lack of safety initiatives and training or failing to implement safe work practices - SHAME ON YOU. And I ask OSHA - WHERE ARE YOU?

I totally love this show! I watch all the new episodes and all the re-runs, even if I’ve seen it 10 times. I have laughed, cried, felt sick, and gotten mad. This show has it all!!!!

Please keep us informed on Phil’s condition, he has a lot of fans that care about him.

For all the men and women who go out into the unknown to provide for the families they love,

GOD BLESS YOU!!!!!!

&

SHUT UP AND FISH!!!!