The Western Australian Fishing Industry Council has had a comprehensive health and safety code for use in the wild catch fishing industry in place since 1992. The OSH Code (hereafter referred to as the Code) was developed as a result of an increasing fatality and serious incident rate within the industry and pressure from both government agencies with jurisdiction over the fishing industry (Worksafe WA and Marine Safety WA) for WAFIC to act over the r incident rate.

The Code was issued as a formal printed document in 1997 and while the education and awareness process continues to this day, questions have been raised by WAFIC, Industry and Government agencies as to the Code’s effectiveness and uptake by industry.

This project involved the Principal Investigator (hereafter referred to as the PI) developing the audit tool (question set) and conducting the trial audits and the Co-Investigator (AXON IT) accessing the software, developing the web based system and uploading all necessary documentation. 

The question set reflected the content and structure of the Code: Part 1 Responsibilities; Part 2 – General guidelines; and Part 3 – Pot and Trap.

The question set was refined over eight versions based upon feedback from trial audits. 

SafetyNet is the name assigned to the web site where all the data is collated and reports produced.

Twenty two sample audits were conducted randomly within the Western Rock Lobster sector and the data entered into the software. The audits and subsequent data collected was not analyzed other than collection of answers for each question. A statistical analysis was not within the scope of the pilot project.

The reports that can be generated by the data base are simple pie charts or bar graphs. They are easy to access and interpret from SafetyNet. Sample reports on the data from the twenty two audits were used to design and test the report generator.

While the audit tool has been piloted within the Western Rock Lobster industry, the audit tool can be adapted to any sector across Australia by designing the question set and uploading to the web. It has been designed so that it can be adapted to enable each state to audit their industry where and when required to assess the uptake of each state’s OSH Code.

The use of Microsoft word for the audit tool also provides flexibility to adapt the question set and reports for other types of audits e.g. environmental and quality audits.

Keywords: Rock lobster, Worksafe, Marine Safety, audit, Microsoft word, software, SafetyNet.

Perth, Western Australia was the Host State for the third Seafood Directions Conference. The conference is held bi annually and is the premier conference for members and associated parties of the seafood industry. The conference was previously held in Brisbane (2001) and Adelaide (1999), Sydney will host the conference in 2005.

The Rock Lobster Congress 3 hosted by the Western Rock Lobster Council was held on Tuesday 16 September prior to Seafood Directions for the first time.  By holding the congress prior to the conference encouraged attendance by fisherman at Seafood Directions 2003, and this was a delegate base the conference was keen to have attend.

The Women’s Industry Network Seafood Community Conference was a one-day conference held on Wednesday 17 September.  The organising committee believed it was of importance to incorporate this conference into Seafood Directions and also offered a discounted rate to WINSC delegates to attend Seafood Directions on the Thursday.

The Western Australian rock lobster industry is the most valuable single species fishing industry in Australia and earns $400 million annually.  “Crayfish poisoning” is the common name for a painful wound infection affecting lobster fishermen and other industry workers in Western Australia.  Despite improvements in working conditions and antibiotic therapies, evidence suggests that infection continues to be a source of morbidity for workers. Although rare, life threatening severe infections can result from these skin infections.  Little is known about the aetiology of these infections; however, there are some similarities with another occupationally related human infection, erysipeloid, caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae. The aims of the project therefore were to elucidate the cause(s) of “crayfish poisoning”, with particular reference to E. rhusiopathiae, and to assess interventions for preventing or treating infection.

An epidemiological and microbiological investigation of “crayfish poisoning” was conducted.  The potential pathogens isolated or detected from 47 suspected “crayfish poisoning” wound swabs were:  Staphylococcus aureus, 22 (47%); Acinetobacter spp., 18 (38%); Streptococcus pyogenes, 11 (23%); Erysipelothrix spp., 9 (19%); Vibrio alginolyticus, 7 (15%); other Gram negative bacilli, 16 (34%).  While S. aureus was the predominant organism found, Erysipelothrix was detected in 19 % of the samples. Strep. pyogenes was also frequently isolated, as was Acinetobacter spp.  An objective of this project was to establish the role that Erysipelothrix plays in these skin infections.  Clearly it does play a role but the natural history of this disease needs more work.  Both S. aureus and Strep pyogenes are common skin pathogens.  It is likely that their growth may obscure the growth of Erysipelothrix, hence our use of a molecular diagnosis.  The other potential confounder, however, is time to presentation.  Erysipelothrix is typically a sub-dermal infection and the skin is not broken.  When the skin does beak the opportunity exists for other organisms like S. aureus and Strep pyogenes to infect the wound.  The hypothesised progression of diseases therefore is Erysipelothrix infection first followed by the others.  However, by the time the other organisms appear, Erysipelothrix may have disappeared.  The Acinetobacter spp., Vibrio spp. and other Gram negative bacilli are likely to be environmental contaminants.  This is not to say that S. aureus and Strep pyogenes are not important in the overall problem of skin infections in fishermen.  They are both potentially serious pathogens.

From the epidemiological survey carried out the following information was obtained: 68% of cases were young deckhands; 52% of infections were on the fingers; 22% on the feet, 15% on the arms, and 15% on the hands; at the time of the injury 43 % were not wearing gloves; and 20 % of cases had a previous skin breach. The presenting signs were erythema (redness), cellulitis (skin breakdown), blisters, furuncles (boils) and paronychia (inflammation of the nail); and systemic symptoms presented in 33%, fever in 29% and lymphadenitis (inflammation of the lymph nodes) in 18%.  Antibiotics were given in 94% of cases, mainly flucloxacillin, 56%.

To assess the distribution of Erysipelothrix spp. in the aquatic environment, a survey of 19 Australasian seafoods was conducted and methodologies for detection of Erysipelothrix spp. evaluated.  Twenty-one Erysipelothrix spp. were isolated from 52 seafood parts.  Primary isolation of Erysipelothrix spp. was most efficiently achieved with broth enrichment, followed by subculture onto a selective agar containing kanamycin, neomycin and vanocmycin, after 48 h incubation.  Selective broth, with 48 h incubation, was the best culture method for detection of Erysipelothrix spp with polymerase chain reaction (PCR).  PCR was 50 % more sensitive than culture.  E. rhusiopathiae was isolated from a variety of different fish, cephalopods and crustaceans, including Western Rock Lobster (Panulirus cygnus).  There was no significant correlation between the origin of the seafoods tested and the distribution of E. rhusiopathiae.  An organism indistinguishable from E. tonsillarum was isolated for the first time from an Australian oyster and a silver bream.  The fishermen’s work environment was heavily contaminated with Erysipelothrix spp.  Overall, Erysipelothrix spp. was widely distributed, illustrating the potential for erysipeloid-like infections in fishermen.  Additional isolates were also obtained from a survey of an abattoir.

The susceptibility of 60 E. rhusiopathiae strains from various sources to 13 antimicrobial agents was determined. Penicillins and cephalosporins remained active against E. rhusiopathiae and should continue to be recommended for treatment.  Ciprofloxacin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were particularly low (MIC90 0.06 mg/l), offering an alternative agent for the penicillin allergic patient.  E. rhusiopathiae is still resistant to vancomycin (MIC90 64 mg/l), highlighting the importance of early diagnosis of E. rhusiopathiae infection in cases of endocarditis. In addition, 31 E. rhusiopathiae isolates were tested against several commercially available home disinfectants. Most were effective in killing E. rhusiopathiae with minimum bactericidal concentrations of 0.001% for Pinocleen, and 0.03% for Domestos, Linely and the Wheelie Bin Phenyl Cleanser. These disinfectants could be used following mechanical cleaning of work environments, such as fishing boats and equipment, to reduce the risk of infection with E. rhusiopathiae.

Keywords: Western rock lobster, skin infections, Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae.