First aid skills offer a lifeline to fishers at sea

SONGKHLA, Thailand (ILO News) - In the coastal town of Songkhla, Thailand, Siriwan Promma has long been an advocate for safety of fishing communities. Since starting her career as a Professional Level Registered Nurse in 1992, Siriwan's passion for nursing has taken her to the Southern Safety Centre, where she works as a trainer to empower community members with essential health and safety skills—a critical endeavour for workers in the challenging maritime environment.

"Fishing is a perilous job," Siriwan reflects. "When your workplace is the open sea, having basic life support skills becomes paramount." She has delved deep into the work of Thai and migrant fishers, and understands the inherent risks that come with the job. Fishing vessels, often far from medical assistance during prolonged sea journeys, means that fishers must be trained in basic lifesaving skills and occupational safety to avoid the worst.

“Our job can be dangerous due to several factors - working conditions on the fishing vessel and unpredictable weather and waters,” said Songheng Kheng, a Cambodian migrant fisher. “I've heard many horror stories. Some fishers fell off the fishing vessel. Some got their legs taggled in the rope and dragged off the vessel. If that happens to my colleagues, I want to be able to help them," he added.

According to Thai law, any vessel greater than 60 gross tonnes shall have at least one first-aider who has passed a first-aid course from an accredited institute or agency.

However, in an industry characterised by a large and dynamic workforce – comprising mainly migrant workers – there is a constant demand for new first-aiders to be trained.

The ILO's EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights South East Asia programme (S2SR SEA) is helping meet this need by teaming up with international NGO Stella Maris to train fishers to become accredited ‘first aiders’ on board.

Siriwan has been at the heart of these efforts. In 2023, Siriwan and her team, in collaboration with Stella Maris, trained over 285 fishers, skippers, and vessel owners across Songkhla, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Surat Thani, Prachuab Kirikhan, Pattani, Chonburi and Rayong provinces in Thailand.

These interactive and hands-on training sessions equipped fishers, skippers, and vessel owners with practical first aid and life support skills. Participants were certified upon completion, turning them into vital first responders capable of delivering life-saving assistance on board a fishing vessel. Given the challenges of immediate medical access at sea, these skills empower fishers to safeguard the well-being of their crewmates.

“Many of us have never seen emergency equipment used in real life. So, this training is very useful for us. We now know how to use the equipment correctly, as well as how to deal with fires and when someone falls overboard,” said Songheng Kheng.

"The training is instrumental and beneficial for workers on a fishing vessel," Siriwan emphasizes. "Through the training, they develop the skills to perform basic life support and help their colleagues while awaiting medical support."

As a nurse and trainer, Siriwan’s commitment not only saves lives but also fosters a culture of preparedness among fishing communities, ensuring that every journey out to sea is done so in the presence of a capable first responder. With support from the ILO's EU-funded Ship to Shore Rights Southeast Asia programme, Siriwan and her team, in collaboration with Stella Maris, will continue building skills and capacity of fishing communities in Thailand’s coastal provinces, helping ensure a safer, less vulnerable future for fishing communities.