Barriers and Facilitators to Adoption of Winch Safety Equipment in Two U.S. Commercial Fisheries

Fishermen tend to view deck winch safety as part of a larger, complex set of safety considerations encompassing the vessel and crew as a whole. This risk balancing sometimes does not favor investment in safety gear specifically for the deck winch, even if it is perceived as a primary hazard. Fundamental economic conditions in these two fisheries continue to pose a challenge to widespread adoption of winch safety equipment. Reducing cost barriers would potentially be the most effective way to increase adoption, but additional work is needed to improve risk communication, increase awareness of available winch safety equipment, and address installation complexity barriers.