Fisherman says training unskilled crew is key to ensuring dhow boat safety

Emirati speaks out after recent fires in Ajman and Dubai.

Boats on fire in Dubai Creek last month. Satish Kumar / The National

AJMAN // Training unskilled Asian workers in health and safety is one of the biggest issues facing dhow boat owners, an Emirati fisherman has said.

Obaid R, who has been fishing for 30 years, said training of crews was essential if boat owners were to avoid the losses experienced in recent accidents.

Last week, three crew members were injured when a fire destroyed two dhows in Ajman Creek, and last month three dhows on Dubai Creek went up in flames, with one sailor treated for first-degree burns.

“Dhow crews don’t have any awareness or knowledge, not even 1 per cent unless the owner teaches or trains them,” Mr Obaid said.

“The fire problems come from new Asian workers who need to be educated and the boat owners, who most of the time are not present, so they put an Asian captain in on their behalf.”

He added that safety equipment had to be on the boats but, even if it was available, crews needed to know how to use it and be alert enough to take precautions.

Mr Obaid said most fires on dhows occurred because of a fuel leak that could lead to an explosion. “When the fuel leaks from the inner tank on the boat, the spilt fuel turns into gas, so running any battery, lamp or electricity that generates a spark will lead to a blast,” he said. He suggested keeping all flammable materials away from the engine.

“They should not run the boat engine until they open all the closed places”, to flush out any vapour that may lead to an explosion if there was fuel leakage. Sailors should wait up to a minute after that before starting the engine, the fisherman said. If a fire did start, he said the crew should use a carpet or blanket to put it out.

“Using a blanket or carpet is better than water because water may lead fire to move from place to place,” Mr Obaid said.

Hassan Al Shamsi, customer service administrator at the Ministry of Environment and Water, said that owners of fishing dhows could not register or renew licences unless they had safety equipment aboard.

When an owner wants to register or renew his boat licence, the coastguard checks that all safety tools are available and the engine is good to use, he said.

“All boats have to have a fire extinguisher, first aid, compass, torch, calling and wireless devices, navigational lights and life vest.”