Best Man Overboard System Isn’t Just for Falling Overboard

From the Center for Maritime Safety and Health Studies comes this startling statistic; “Workers at marine terminals have higher fatality, injury and illness rates than other workers in the U.S. In 2016 there were approximately 98,000 marine terminal and longshoring workers employed at U.S. ports. From 2011–2016 fatal injuries occurred at an annual rate of 17.0 per 100,000 workers, a rate more than five times that of the U.S. workforce overall. In the same period, there were also an average of 5,015 nonfatal injuries/illnesses per 100,000 workers each year, nearly double that of the U.S. workforce overall.”

Emerald Marine Products has seen a significant increase in the use of our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System due to the concerns for employees higher than average fall rate and industries moving to do more with less, which means some marine terminal locations may only have one or two employees doing the work. The “look out for your buddy” system of being aware of a person in the water isn’t very effective.

Marine Terminals specializing in transferring fertilizer, aggregate, or other agricultural products are seeing the cost-effectiveness and increased safety awareness by placing an ALERT Man-Overboard System at their location. The product not only alerts any individuals at that location that a worker is in the water, it can also be connected to other devices. Providing a regional or national center to be aware of an employee in the water and launch a rescue operations within seconds!

Originally the ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm system was developed for commercial fishermen and crew members of vessels where their chance of falling in water was great due to hauling gear on board, handling gear on deck, tripping, slipping or getting entangled in gear. But more and more Marine Terminal Operators are understanding the fact that their shore-side workers vulnerability is just as great, if not greater. Any fall in the water is scary and could be fatal, so the awareness of a person in the water is vital to a fast and successful rescue. Don’t let the term Man-Overboard Alarm System misguide you, our ALERT system is meant for any responsible company that has employee’s working near water. If your company has employees at any risk of falling in water and that event is undetected, you are at risk of significant liability issues. The ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System is the best man overboard system and could be a wise and financially prudent investment. For more information about our product and how it can keep your employees safe contact Emerald Marine Products via this contact link or call, 800-426-4201.

Fall Overboard Tragedy Can be Prevented

ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System protects all people on or near water.

As a manufacturer of products specific to fall overboard alerting and retrieval, we monitor the news for fall overboard incidents. Just today we read about two fatalities that occurred, each when a worker fell into the water and no one was aware of the issue until it became tragic. The Maritime Executive Online reported, “In the early hours of Saturday morning, a deckhand disappeared from a moored towboat on the Mississippi River at St. Joseph, Louisiana. The Coast Guard, the Mississippi Department of Wildlife and the local sheriff’s department conducted a search of the river all day Saturday – including dragging the river and scanning with sonar – but without success. The search resumed Sunday morning.” In the same online issue of The Maritime Executive Online reported , “At about 1700 hours Sunday, Sector Honolulu received a distress call from the master of the fishing vessel Kawaiola, who reported that one of their crewmembers had gone overboard. The missing fisherman was last seen on the deck of the vessel at 1430 hours, and the crew did not realize that he was no longer aboard until several hours had passed.”

Two different locations, two different industries, two different work environments but both ended in the same outcome – a person fell into the water and no one was aware of this fall-overboard until minutes, even hours passed before this person was missed. We don’t know the details of these tragedies but we do know the use of an ALERT Man-Overboard transmitter on that worker could have averted the tragedy by altering the crew and vessel of a man-overboard (MOB).

Even if the person is wearing a personal flotation device (PFD), which definitely can give the person a greater opportunity for survival, there is still a need to alert the vessel that the person fell from, as this is the greatest chance of survival. The ALERT Transmitter immediately notifies the boat that a MOB has occurred, quickly calling into action all eyes and able bodies to rescue the man-overboard in minutes.

Emerald Marine Products is moved by these tragedies to reach out to the fishing community and to other small business that rely on the health and safety of their workers to continue to prosper in a very competitive and physically challenging work environment. We ask these enterprises to seriously consider investing in wearing and using PFD’s. We promise to do all we can to make our ALERT product available to you at a discount so finances are not the issue in preventing fishermen or small businesses from using a fall overboard alarm system. Because our ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm System is automatic and water activated, when the person falls overboard, conscious or not, PFD wearer or not, the device when it gets wet will begin to transmit to the ALERT Receiver and within seconds the alarm is alerting all those in the area of a fall overboard situation.

We encourage solo fishermen, small fishing companies, non-profits catering to the commercial fishing industry, and other small businesses with employees working on or near water to contact us and see if we can help protect their fleets, We’d love to see these all too familiar headline’s about “Disappearing Deckhand” and “Search for Missing Fisherman” to have a better end to the story. A headline that reads, “Fisherman Falls Overboard and is Rescued by Crew”. Life saved, a story with a much better ending than the one’s we read all too often.

Fall Overboard Situations Presentation

Now available is a presentation given to the Signal Mutual Safety Meeting about Fall Overboard Situations, their cause, and solutions for fall overboard alerting and retrieval.

ALERT418 Man-Overboard Alarm System Introduction Video Now Available

Curious about our two ALERT Man-Overboard Alarm Systems? This new video provides information about the ALERT2 and ALERT418 systems. Their similarities and the improvements made with the new ALERT418 system.

Good News about OSCAR!

OSCAR – Water Rescue Training Dummy available in two colors.

Now available for special order is a high visibility Orange version of our popular OSCAR – Water Rescue Training Dummy(TM). Please specify the Orange version when ordering. Buy now as OSCAR – Water Rescue Training Dummy price increases to $749 on February 1, 2018.

Man-Overboard alert on Rosepoint Softwware.

COLD WEATHER COMPOUNDS MAN-OVERBOARD SITUATION

Man-Overboard alert on Rosepoint Software.

Whether on deck or shoreside, frigid weather is fatiguing and increases the chance of falling, especially when restrictive clothing that hinders normal balance is worn. If someone goes overboard, the situation is compounded by cold water shock. Emerald Marine Products’ ALERT Man-Overboard System is a simple, proven solution that instantly notifies those within the immediate area. It provides rescuers the extra seconds needed to keep the fall from becoming a fatality.
Water that’s only 60° is cold enough to generate muscle spasms, a gasp reflex and hyperventilation if fallen into. Sudden immersion can paralyze muscles and even cause a cardiac arrest. Unlike warm water, the MOB victim is unlikely to be able to shout. That’s what makes the ALERT System ideal for cold-weather workers.
In its most basic form, the ALERT system is a water-activated transmitter worn on a lifejacket and a receiver, typically installed in a wheelhouse or job office. When the device is submerged, it triggers the receiver’s alarm and flashing light, instantly notifying coworkers. The system can be wired to kill engines, set a chartplotter or GPS waypoint, and activate external strobes and speakers.

ALERT418 at WorkBoat Show!

ALERT418 Receiver and Transmitter.

Emerald Marine Products announces a significant advancement in MOB protection: the state-of-the-art ALERT418® Man-Overboard Receiver. Integrating fully with current and first-generation ALERT transmitters, it’s ideal for commercial applications such as workboats, gas and oil platforms, ports and marine terminals, and shoreside construction sites. The innovative device leverages the latest advancements in electronics technology, while maintaining its predecessor’s proven and enviable safety record.

When an ALERT transmitter is submerged, the ALERT418 receiver instantly flashes and sounds a piercing alarm in a wheelhouse or shoreside office.

The ALERT418 Man-Overboard Receiver interfaces with popular NMEA 0183-compliant chartplotting software, so a waypoint can automatically be set upon transmitter activation. Additionally, it can be wired to kill engines, and activate external strobes and speakers.

What separates the ALERT system from AIS is its immediacy. It uses a radio signal, so there’s no satellite lag or waiting for an open channel. With a moving vessel, or river or tidal flow, an MOB victim can be swept out of sight quickly. The ALERT418 Man-Overboard Receiver provides the added seconds needed to keep a simple fall from becoming a fatality.

The ALERT418 product line will be available for demonstration at the Byrne, Rice & Turner Booth 1521 at this year’s Workboat show being held from November 29th through December 1 in New Orleans.

For further information contact Emerald Marine Products at 800-426-4201. Hope to see you at the show!

All Too Common Headline

Blessing of the Fleet at Fishermen’s Terminal

Once again the headline reads, “Man Vanishes from Fishing Boat.” Unfortunately, this story repeats throughout the year. Either a lone fisherman or someone working their watch falls overboard and no one is aware of the situation until far too late.

Recently a 55-year old fisherman from New Bedford, Massachusetts became the latest fisherman fatality due to a fall overboard. This fisherman left behind a wife and daughter. Coming from a family of fishermen, he knew of the dangers of the industry, having both of his grandfather’s lost at sea. What makes this story all too familiar and tragic is this fisherman’s life may have been spared if he simply wore a Personal Flotation Device (PFD). Taking it a step farther, the small investment in a fall overboard alarm system could have alerted the crew of a fall overboard situation or have killed the engine of the boat for the opportunity to get back onboard.

The staff at Emerald Marine Products always feel a personal loss when a death occurs from a fall overboard. Our products are built to protect mariners and their families. We are driven every day by the motivation that our products can help to save lives, companies, and a source of income for those dependent on them.

Emerald Marine Products is moved by this tragedy to reach out to the fishing community, especially to those solo fishermen or small family-owned fishing fleets to seriously consider investing in wearing and using PFD’s. We promise to do all we can to make our ALERT product available to you at a discount so finances are not the issue in preventing fishermen from using a fall overboard alarm system.

We encourage solo fishermen, small fishing companies, non-profits catering to the commercial fishing industry, such as Fishermen’s Wives Groups, to contact us and see if we can help protect their fleets, We’d love to see the all too familiar headline have a better end to the story. A headline that reads, “Fisherman Falls Overboard and is Rescued by Crew.” The crew was alerted in time to find the fisherman who was afloat thanks to his PFD. Life saved, a story with a much better ending then the one’s we read all too often.

University Readies Its Ships Against MOB Incident

Safety is important on any boat, even more so when scientists and inexperienced students are working on deck. The School of Oceanography at the University of Washington protects those on board its two research vessels with Emerald Marine Products’ ALERT Man-Overboard (MOB) Alarm Systems™. If someone should fall overboard, an alarm instantly sounds, providing critical extra time for a successful recovery in the cold Pacific Northwest waters and points beyond.

The university purchased ALERT2 systems for its 274′ R/V Thomas G. Thompson and 66′ R/V Clifford A. Barnes. Each is equipped with an ALERT2 Receiver, 18″ whip antenna, seven Transmitters with Spray Tight Pouches and a Man-Overboard Portable Direction Finder to pinpoint the victim in darkness or heavy seas.

Especially on the smaller Clifford A. Barnes, where people are often alone on deck, everyone wears a work vest and has access to a small and lightweight ALERT2 Transmitter. If the unit is immersed in water, it triggers the receiver to activate a piercing alarm in the wheelhouse. Unlike MOB systems that rely on satellites, like AIS, the ALERT2 is instantaneous.

There’s a need for immediacy. At even a mere 3 kts, an MOB will be 100′ astern in just 20 seconds. The sooner crew can launch a locally-managed rescue operation, the greater the success will be.

“We chose the ALERT system because of its simplicity and affordability—it’s a good value,” said Capt. Douglas Russell, manager of marine operations. “And, we received great customer care during the purchase process.” Package prices start as low as $1,068.

Founded in 1930, the Seattle-based School of Oceanography at the University of Washington provides its students with the academic tools and resources to study the marine environment, and its interaction with the earth and atmosphere. It offers baccalaureate and graduate degree programs. Its website is www.ocean.washington.edu.

Man-Overboard Transmitter Ideal for Shoreside Workers

Employers who invest in an ALERT418™ Man-Overboard Alarm System from Emerald Marine Products demonstrate a firm commitment to safety for their employees. Workers at marine terminals and construction sites are protected when working around water, especially when out of sight of each other.

The ALERT system also addresses the serious issue of liability. It’s an added layer of protection for both the employee and the company. It can also make recruiting and retaining quality employees easier.