For many workers based in Wishaw who travel regularly to Scotland's coastal harbours and fishing ports, occupational health information has historically been hard to access. Unlike workers based on industrial estates or in large warehouses, fishing and port workers operate in fragmented environments — moving between vessels, quaysides, and cold stores, rarely spending enough time in one place to benefit from standard workplace health services. That's the gap Vibrant Health Advocates - Onyx was established to address.
Our harbour information sessions began as a pilot, with a small team visiting working harbours and speaking directly with port workers before and after shifts. The response was immediate. Workers told us they had never had anyone explain the health risks specific to their roles in accessible, practical language. Questions came fast: about repetitive strain from hauling gear, about the long-term effects of cold and damp, about what to do when back pain starts creeping in after a week of heavy lifting.
The sessions have since grown into a structured programme. We run regular information mornings at a number of harbours accessible from Wishaw, focusing on clusters of workers who commute from Lanarkshire to coastal sites. We work with employers and crew managers to identify convenient windows — typically early morning before vessels depart, or in the hour after landing — so we are not pulling workers away from income-generating time.
What we offer is not clinical treatment; we are an information and signposting service. Our trained volunteers and staff provide clear, jargon-free guidance on recognising early warning signs of common occupational conditions, understanding workers' rights around workplace health, and knowing which services are available in both Lanarkshire and the coastal areas where people work. We also produce printed take-away materials that workers can reference at sea or share with family members.
Feedback from participants has shaped how we deliver. Workers told us early on that they valued peer conversation as much as formal presentations, so we have incorporated more facilitated discussion into each session. We have also added a short online resource library, accessible via smartphone, that workers can browse during downtime at sea or on the journey home.
Looking ahead, we are planning to extend the programme to reach seasonal workers — a group that currently falls through almost every gap in occupational health provision. If you work in fishing or port operations and travel from the Wishaw or wider Lanarkshire area, we want to hear from you. Knowing about health risks early is not a luxury; for people doing this kind of work, it is essential.
