We have some exciting news to share with you about MarineSAFE, a brand new online learning platform for the seafood sector!

Since early 2019, ACC have been making grants available to organisations who can help solve workplace health and safety problems that affect multiple businesses in New Zealand. These grants are used to carry out projects around innovation, capability building and research, and then the benefits are shared across industries. The idea is to support those who can collaborate to improve workplace health and safety for many businesses and their workers.

The MarineSAFE project will create online video-based realistic training, with assessments, that will focus on the risks associated with the commercial fishing industry and provide them on an accessible Learning Management System platform to overcome some of the challenges of land-based training.

The resources developed will be available on mobile devices, simple to access and use, and will support fishing vessels current induction, training, and compliance requirements.

The training will be focused on improving health and safety outcomes and reducing injury rates for the commercial fishing sector.

The first phase of the MarineSAFE project is initially intended for the inshore sector with the aim of growing and developing into all seafood sectors.

Further tailored resources, training programmes, downloadable templates and health and safety material will be developed after this initial phase and be available to the wider seafood sector as the MarineSAFE voyage continues

The great news is that ALL resources developed in the initial phase will be free and beneficial across the seafood sector and we want to ‘haul in as many fish’ as we can!

1. In this first phase we’re going to design, develop and deliver 5 online learning modules with assessments, 3 additional safety videos, and run promotional workshops in 4 key fishing regions by 30 June 2021.
2. We want to obtain tangible support from other sectors of the seafood industry (e.g. Deepwater, Aquaculture, Paua, Rock Lobster) and look at ways we can tailor MarineSAFE for your sector.
3. Our overall aim - to reduce harm and injuries by increasing and improving risk awareness in the seafood industry and the MarineSAFE platform will provide a great opportunity for all sectors to be involved!

With ACC and Industry funding, the NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen is leading the project in collaboration with Guard Safety to develop the resources.

You can learn more about the NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen and Guard Safety by clicking on the links below:

The following organisations have expressed interest in being involved in the project and we are very excited to have organisations of this calibre come on board!

• NZ Fishing Health and Safety Forum
• Seafood New Zealand
• Maritime New Zealand

We’ve officially had our Project Kick-off meeting and it’s all systems go. Our website and Learning Management System are currently underway.

The ETA of our first learning module is the 6^th of November so watch this space!

Industry input is essential and we will keep you up to date on our website which is launching soon,  as well as on the NZ Federation of Commercial Fishermen website at www.nzfishfed.co.nz, and with our newsletters and social media posts.

We need test pilots so if you would like to be involved, or have other future suggestions, then please email us at info@marinesafe.nz or call us on 027 436 2396 or 021 041 6283.