Coast Guard Offering Marine Safety and Survival Training in Port Orford

Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety officials from Coast Guard Sector Portland, Ore., will be presenting a hands-on safety and survival workshop for commercial fishermen in Port Orford, Ore., Monday and Tuesday and in Charleston, Ore., Wednesday and Thursday. Each of the the two-day hands-on safety and survival workshops demonstrates what type of marine survival equipment to have onboard, the workshop also conducts drills that meet Coast Guard requirements for commercial fishing vessels operating outside the 12-mile international boundary line. Participants will practice with emergency equipment to include lifejackets, life rafts, immersion suits, emergency positioning indicating radio beacons and fire extinguishers. Mariners will learn and practice emergency procedures such as man overboard retrieval, abandoning ship, fire fighting and flooding control. Mariners who have already taken the course are encouraged to attend again to refresh their skills. A study by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health determined that after a period of five years, the effectiveness of training in reducing fatalities declines significantly.