Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Checklists: Protecting Crew and Catch

Commercial fishing combines heavy deck gear, unpredictable weather, long hours and distance from help. Small problems at the wharf, such as a flat EPIRB battery or a sticking bilge pump, can become emergencies at sea. Good checklists make pre-departure and on-board checks consistent, and give skippers and owners a record that supports their safety management system. This guide covers the requirements, what to check, and how to keep checks practical on a working boat.

Safety management system requirements

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) states that all domestic commercial vessels must have a safety management system. An SMS should be based on a risk assessment of your operations and describe how safety, maintenance and operations are managed on the vessel. From 1 June 2025, changes to Marine Order 504 introduced new requirements, including fatigue risk management, drug and alcohol policies for some vessel classes, and stronger operational and emergency procedures. A simplified SMS may be available for eligible vessels.

AMSA is clear that an SMS “must be put into practice and be effective”. Regular checklists, drills and maintenance records are how you show that happening. Commercial fishing may also be covered by WHS laws and state fisheries rules, so check what applies to your operation.

Pre-departure checklist

Vessel and machinery

• Hull, hatches and watertight doors secure
• Engine oil, coolant and fuel checked, with no leaks
• Bilge pumps and alarms tested
• Steering and controls working
• Batteries charged and secure

Safety equipment

• Lifejackets for everyone on board, in date and accessible
• EPIRB registered, in date and with battery serviced
• Liferaft serviced and correctly stowed
• Flares in date
• Fire extinguishers and fire blanket in place and serviced
• First aid kit stocked

Communications and navigation

• VHF radio tested
• Navigation lights, GPS and plotter working
• Trip plan logged with someone ashore

Crew and conditions

• Weather and sea conditions checked
• Crew inducted, fit for work and briefed on emergency procedures
• Fatigue and rest considered for the trip length

On-board and deck safety

• Deck gear: winches, haulers, blocks and wires inspected; guards in place; emergency stops working
• Man overboard: recovery equipment ready, and drills held regularly
• Slips and falls: clean decks, non-slip surfaces and appropriate footwear
• Catch handling: safe lifting, sharp tools controlled, and hazardous species handled carefully
• Refrigeration and holds: safe entry procedures for holds and refrigerated spaces

Putting your checks into practice

1. Base checks on your SMS. Build pre-departure, on-board and maintenance checklists from your risk assessment and procedures.
2. Keep them short and practical. Focus on items that matter and that can be checked quickly on a working boat.
3. Assign responsibility. Make it clear who checks what, from the skipper to deckhands.
4. Record and act on faults. Every fault needs an owner and a fix before the vessel relies on that equipment.
5. Hold regular drills. Practise man overboard, fire and abandon ship, and record them.
6. Review after incidents and each season. Update checklists and your SMS when things change.

Digital checklists at sea

Paper logs get wet, lost or filled in after the fact. With DIGI CLIP, skippers and crew complete pre-departure checks, maintenance checks and drill records on a phone or tablet, even without coverage offshore; the check is submitted with a tap once the device is back online. Each form is location- and time-stamped. Faults create actions in the Action Log, so repairs are assigned and closed out with evidence, and owners can see every vessel’s records in one place.

Illustrative scenario: a bilge alarm fault

During a pre-departure check, a deckhand tests the bilge alarm and it doesn’t sound. She fails the item in DIGI CLIP with a note, which creates an action for the skipper. The departure is delayed while a loose connection is repaired, the alarm is retested, and the action is closed out with a photo before the vessel leaves the wharf.

This scenario is illustrative. It shows how a fishing operation could use DIGI CLIP and is not an account of a specific customer.

See how DIGI CLIP works for commercial fishing and aquaculture, and our guide to fatigue management.