Training

The Seafarers Hospital Society in association with SeaFit and The Fishermen’s Mission have a number of Free Defibrillators available which come with relevant training of their operation.

The Seafarers Hospital Society (via SeaFit) is offering a fantastic opportunity for fishing crews: FREE defibrillators and first aid kits for vessels with a skipper and at least two crew members on board!

Here’s what’s included:
✨ A top-of-the-line defibrillator and first aid kit.
✨ Free training on defibrillator use (it’s simple and effective!).
✨ Support for five years, including replacement batteries and pads.

The only requirement? Commit to completing the free training and doing quick monthly checks on the equipment to ensure it’s always ready to use.

💡 Sudden cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere. Having a defibrillator on board could save a life—don’t miss out on this vital initiative!

📩 To apply, contact Sandra Welch:
Email: admin@seahospital.org.uk
Phone: 07392 998964

Read more about the project Here

Watch the video (YouTube): Seafarers Hospital Society: YOUR HEART MATTERS

Facilitated by Seafish

Across the UK, thousands of individuals within the seafood industry have completed one of our Elementary Food Hygiene programmes to achieve a food safety qualification. By completing this online course, individuals and businesses benefit. A food hygiene qualification should be important to you, your manager, customers and others. 

Key Features

• A nationally recognised and accredited qualification.

• Qualification awarded by Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland (REHIS)

• Qualification will satisfy legal requirements for food handler training.

• Elementary level qualifications are suitable for the majority of operatives, team leaders, supervisors and some managers in the seafood industry.

• Our online study materials and exams are available in English, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese and Welsh.

• Most people take between 5-10 hours to study the online materials and videos to become exam-ready.

• The invigilated remote exam is via Zoom from the comfort of your own home or workplace.

• Study materials and remote exam fee is currently fully funded for seafood workers. 

Flexible learning

• Study at your own pace.

• Choose when and where you study with access to online materials 24/7. 

• The online materials are presented as a series of individual chapters.

• Test your knowledge with the end of chapter self assessment questions.

• Track your progress with the online learning log.

• Take practice exams online until you are ready to sit the exam.

• When you are ready, contact us to arrange your free invigilated exam.

Course content

The course modules are available to download as PDFs

To access the materials in Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese and Welsh, please contact our onshore training team by email at onshore@seafish.co.uk.

Requirements to access study materials and exam

• You will need an internet connection to access the materials and the remote exam.

• You will need a device with a webcam and microphone for the remote exam.

Exam fee

The exam is free for UK-based seafood workers and is funded by Seafish. For non-seafood workers, or people based outside the UK, the cost of the exam is £35.

How to book an exam

On completion of the study materials, the next step is to book an exam. Individuals should only book an exam when ready to do so. To book an exam, please contact our Onshore Training team by following the link below. 

Qualification awarded by REHIS

• On successful completion of passing the 30-question multiple choice supervised exam, students are awarded a qualification by REHIS. 

• The Elementary Food Hygiene qualification is equivalent to a Level 2 Food Safety certificate and is recognised internationally.

Further information

For further information about the course, please email onshore@seafish.co.uk or contact one of our onshore approved training providers. 

Achievement of this qualification allows you to undertake the Elementary Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) by eLearning programme.

Hygiene in the Seafood Industry (YouTube)

As fisheries management plans (FMPs) are developed, we gather evidence, engage those with an interest and then run public consultations.

The Regional Fisheries Groups (RFG) team at the Marine Management Organisation (MMO) has created a short video to help explain the consultation process.

If you ever looked at a consultation and thought “Where do I start?”- this video is for you.

Well-informed consultation responses make a real difference and help us understand what will work in practice.

How to write an effective consultation response

For FMP consultations, many people read only the consultation document. This document is a summary and does not include all the information needed to respond fully.

The detailed information - including the evidence, reasoning, options and impacts - is set out in the draft FMP and the Environmental Report.

Supporting documents with further background can be found alongside it - including engagement reports and impact assessments.

If you do not read the full documents, it is difficult to give meaningful feedback that can influence the final plan.

This video shows:

• what to include in your response

• what to avoid

• examples of low- and high-quality responses

Watch the video (YouTube): How to write an effective consultation response

Man Overboard Toolkit (Home and Dry)

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Man Overboard Awareness Events

A series of training events to make those working on fishing vessels more aware of the dangers of man overboard incidents.

This page has information on:

• What to expect

• Upcoming training events

• Funding and costs

• How to book

• Further information

Falling overboard is the single biggest cause of workplace fatalities in the fishing industry. In 2021, ten fishermen tragically lost their lives at sea. Six of these were recorded as man overboard fatalities by the Marine Accident Investigation Branch.  

What to expect 

The in-water awareness events, in partnership with the RNLI, explain how to reduce the risk in going overboard and what can be done to improve the chances of survival. Participants will experience a man overboard emergency under controlled conditions. The pools use wind, rain and waves to make the experience more realistic.

The environment pools aim to create some of the conditions experienced at sea with a wave machine and rain.

Each one-day event will have a variable start time but will allow for attendees to travel to and from the venue in one day.

This will be confirmed as part of your booking.

The sessions will cover:

• Causes of falling overboard

• How to prevent falling overboard

• How to improve chance of survival if you do fall overboard

• Jumping into the pool with clothes and oilskins on, with and without a personal flotation device on.

• Practise climbing into a life raft

• Practise with the lines, tyres and a ladder to pull you out of the water.

Funding and costs 

There is no charge for attending. The cost of delivering these events is being met by Seafish and the RNLI. Seafish will also reimburse reasonable travel and subsistence costs.

Further information 

These events have been provided as part of our work with the Fishing Industry Safety Group. Information on staying safe at sea, including videos on completing Risk Assessments and Man Overboard Drills are available by visiting the Fishing Industry Safety Group website

Watch the video (YouTube): Man Overboard Training (Seafish)

A remote course that may allow shellfish producers to collect shellfish and water samples for Local Authorities, with an agreement in place.

As part of the change in regulatory approach by the Food Standards Agency in 2022, Local Authorities may now allow shellfish producers to collect shellfish and water samples, providing producers have undergone training and an agreement is in place between the two parties.

This training course shows food business operators and Local Authorities how to collect, process and transport shellfish samples for official controls purposes in accordance with Official Controls Guidance and our informal Occupational Standard.

Key Features

• This course is suitable for operators of depuration centres and similar shellfish businesses. Staff from Local Authorities such as Environmental Health Officers may also benefit from attending. 

• Learners who actively participate will receive a Seafish attendance certificate.

Information about the course

• It is a half-day training course delivered via Microsoft Teams.

Course content

The course focuses on seven areas:

• The purpose of official control samples

• The need for consistency in the sampling methodology

• The collection of the samples

• The storage of the samples

• The dispatch or transportation of samples

• The collecting, recording and validating of appropriate information

• The impact that other events can have on sampling and how to record and report these.

Course costs

This course costs £200 (no VAT) per person to attend. 50% funding is currently available to qualifying seafood businesses for remotely delivered online courses.

Pre-requisites to study this course

There is no formal pre-requisite, but it is advised that an agreement in principle from the Local Authority for industry sampling to occur should be sought before booking a place on the training course.

Attendees may also benefit from completing a Bivalve Purification training course prior to attending this course.

Further information and to book a place on the course

For further information or to book a place on the course, please email the Onshore Training team: onshore@seafish.co.uk.

HASSL, a proud Community Partner of UKWIF, tackles the root causes of violence against women.

You can access HASSL’s growing library of free, online resources, including:

- Online courses
- Short activities
- Downloadable resources
- Conversation prompts

All designed to spark real conversations and shift mindsets. Start learning here: https://hassl.uk/pages/hassl-education-resources

On Tuesday, 25th February 2025, UK Women in Fisheries (UKWIF) hosted a training webinar, streamed live on YouTube, and drawing attendees from across and beyond the UKWIF network. The session focused on the critical topic of risk assessments, covering their purpose, how to conduct them effectively, and the vital role they play in keeping us all safe.

Charles Blyth from the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO)  and Lynn Reid from MacDuff Shellfish led the webinar, sharing their extensive industry expertise.  Lynn, highly respected with her wealth of experience, provided real-world insights into the practicalities of risk assessments at sea, while Charles taught attendees how to conduct a Risk Assessment and what they should cover.

The session encouraged audience engagement, with participants submitting questions in advance and during the webinar via the YouTube comments and covered topics like understanding how to risk assess an in-person event, or how to get risk assessments respected by reluctant crew.

Participants gained practical knowledge on creating and implementing effective risk assessments tailored to various roles within the fishing industry, from boats to processing and administrative tasks. 

We also learned about the potential consequences of neglecting risk assessments, including increased hazards and potential legal consequences. Charles was able to provide some shocking yet insightful photos from his role at the NFFO. The webinar underscored that a proactive approach to safety not only protects everyone but also elevates the reputation of the seafood sector.

Unlike other webinars, this webinar was open to all, not just UKWIF members, and we saw strong participation from a diverse audience eager to learn and stay compliant on all things safety.

Thank you to Charles and Lynn for generously donating their time and expertise to empower the fishing community.

UK WIF is currently approaching the end of a 6 month funded period by The Seafarers’ Charity, the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, and FASS Funding. WIthout this financial support, none of this would be possible. 

Watch the recording (YouTube): Risk Assessment and How they keep us safe

These Wellness at Sea Courses are a fantastic resource from our wonderful partners at The Sailors’ Society

These online modules are designed to help those working at sea take care of their mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing.

You may find that the content is more suited to people who work in shipping, but we found the content is relevant to all seafarers. We especially recommend starting with the first three modules—Personal Wellbeing, Social Wellbeing, and Emotional Wellbeing—as they offer a strong foundation. If you'd like to earn a certificate, you'll need to complete all the modules, but each one is valuable on its own, self-paced and totally free!

The Sailors Society also have more free support available

• Peer to Peer Support Groups

• Women’s Helpline