Fishermen’s Health and Safety in the Northern Tunisian Region (Southeast Mediterranean Sea): Risk Assessment

Abstract

While, it is crucial that the workplace provides a healthy and safe environment, unfortunately, this is not always the case. Maritime workers around the world face risks that threaten their safety and health every day. Not to mention fatal injuries, other less serious occupational accidents according to international data suffered by fishermen include, but are not limited to, bruises, cuts, puncture wounds, sprains and strains, fractures and even amputations. Many fish harvesters also experience health problems like back pain resulting from poor load handling or sliding injuries, sound-induced hearing impairment, and various infections [3,8,9]. No doubt, professionals are keen on the safety of their crews when it comes to weather conditions to which they may be exposed. Many of them keep up with innovative fishing technologies, equipment, and practices, and work on the constant improvement of the safety of their vessels [2,10]. Statistics show that deadly injuries in the fishing sector are declining in developed countries [11][12][13], while numbers are still high in developing countries [1,14].