Safer Positioning of Electronic Fishing Aids

Abstract

Bridge design has undergone changes in the last few decades resulting in increased awareness of the need for safety while maintaining the minimum of personnel. The concept of the one-person bridge has been studied fairly extensively with respect to military and large merchant vessels, but much of this work has been ignored by those designing for smaller ships, particularly fishing vessels. This paper derives principles for positioning the electronic fishing aids of ‘single ticket’ fishing vessels while applying, where applicable practically, the ergonomic principles developed from the wider community. The paper then applies the principles to the wheelhouses of two fishing vessels and suggests modifications for greater compliance. A conceptual wheelhouse design is given that satisfies all the principles while including the usual suite of electronic aids typically carried by such fishing vessels.