Designing safe, sustainable, and inclusive coastal communities and industries for Atlantic Canada

Co-led by Paul Foley and Lorenzo Moro, the Future Ocean and Coastal Infrastructures (FOCI) Consortium is constituted to carry out a highly innovative, transdisciplinary program of engaged research focused on designing infrastructures essential to the development of safe, sustainable and inclusive Atlantic Canadian ocean industries and coastal communities in the face of climate and ocean change.

Within this program, SafetyNet supports research to address critical needs for proactively designing maritime and coastal infrastructure for Atlantic Canadian industries, coastal communities and workers that is both safer and less environmentally damaging.

Maritime work is among the most hazardous in the world. Climate, ocean, coastal and industrial change will create unique challenges for the health and safety of seafarers, fish harvesters and workers in coastal ports and facilities such as aquaculture, including for those commuting to and from remote locations. These challenges need to be addressed while simultaneously reducing the environmental hazards associated with these infrastructures.

Improving safety and reducing the environmental footprint of marine vehicles by design and operation (WP1)

Examining the effectiveness of safety interventions in maritime industries integrating knowledge from organizational safety research (safety management systems and organizational safety behavior), safety engineering (safety intervention techniques) and marine policy (legal safety interventions requirements).

Acting on weather & climate: networks and infrastructure for adaptation/mitigation decision making (WP2)

Building on existing research partnerships and ongoing interdisciplinary research on the intersection of weather and safety to focus on infrastructures designed to facilitate planning around weather-driven hazards and climate change.

Search and rescue in remote regions (WP3)

Partnering to build research in partnerships to inform the design of search and rescue (SAR) infrastructure in a context of change.

Return to work after work injury or illness: challenges for marine and coastal workers in Atlantic Canada (WP8)

Laying the foundation for the development of an evidence-based strategy to design infrastructures to address the barriers and challenges for return-to-work (RTW) among injured and ill workers in changing marine and coastal industries across Atlantic Canada.

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