ABS has completed a four-year project to develop a web-based training module aimed at improving safety practices for commercial fishermen. The module focuses on six major categories of safety risks tied to fishing vessel dynamic stability, using computational fluid dynamics and modern rendering techniques to create realistic simulations.

Patrick Ryan, ABS senior vice president and chief technology officer, said, “This work shows the unwavering efforts of ABS to promote the security of life at sea. In some environmental conditions, commercial fishing can become an occupation with many risks. With modern simulation technologies, ABS is able to advance training for better situational awareness of safety risks to support those working in the fishing industry.”

The initiative was funded by the Commercial Fishing Occupational Safety Research program of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association has added the platform to its long-term course offerings.

Project partners included ABS, the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, George Mason University, and the Northeast Center for Occupational Health and Safety, with additional support from naval architecture firm Hockema Group Inc.

"We are excited to see this stability training tool come online," said Joseph D. Myers, U.S. Coast Guard Fishing Vessel Safety Program Manager. "The interactive features permit the user to experiment with multiple stability-oriented scenarios; and in doing so, permit knowledge-based decision making on probable outcomes, which may enhance valuable stability decisions while at sea."