Background: Falls overboard are the most frequent cause of death in the Northeast lobster fishing industry. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) surveillance indicates every victim of a fall overboard who has been found was not wearing a lifejacket. Preliminary research conducted in Maine and Massachusetts indicates lifejacket use is relatively uncommon among lobstermen due to barriers such as comfort, practicality, and social norms.

Methods: This study highlights an initiative to: (1) trial various lifejacket designs with lobstermen; (2) identify the most popular designs; and (3) identify other features that could encourage use of lifejackets. In 2017, nine designs were trialed with lobstermen in Maine and Massachusetts during the winter and summer fishing seasons. Participants were recruited dockside, and lifejackets were randomly assigned. Participants completed surveys at 1 week and 4 weeks to assess positive and negative design features and to understand the importance of survival technology that can be used in conjunction with lifejackets.

Results: 181 lobstermen in Maine and Massachusetts agreed to participate. Recruitment rates were 90.5%, while the survey completion rate was 88.4%. Survey results identified no clear preference for a specific lifejacket design; however, the ability to choose from many options appeared to be an important factor.

Conclusion: Previous studies have indicated that lifejacket preferences are fisheries specific. In the Northeast lobster fishery, however, individual preferences varied. Our research demonstrates that a range of devices covering different buoyancies, wear type, and retrieval systems should be made more available to lobstermen.

背景：落水是东北龙虾捕捞业最常见的死亡原因。美国国家职业安全与健康研究所 (NIOSH) 的监测显示，每一位被发现的落水受害者都没有穿救生衣。在缅因州和马萨诸塞州进行的初步研究表明，由于舒适性、实用性和社会规范等障碍，捕虾者使用救生衣相对不常见。

方法：本研究强调了以下一项举措：(1) 与龙虾人一起试验各种救生衣设计； (2) 确定最流行的设计； (3) 确定可以鼓励使用救生衣的其他特征。 2017 年，缅因州和马萨诸塞州的龙虾渔民在冬季和夏季捕鱼季节对九种设计进行了试验。参与者在码头招募，救生衣是随机分配的。参与者在第 1 周和第 4 周完成调查，以评估积极和消极的设计特征，并了解可与救生衣结合使用的救生技术的重要性。

结果：缅因州和马萨诸塞州的 181 名捕龙虾者同意参加。招聘率为90.5%，调查完成率为88.4%。调查结果表明，对于特定的救生衣设计没有明显的偏好；然而，从多种选择中进行选择的能力似乎是一个重要因素。

结论：之前的研究表明，救生衣的偏好是针对渔业的。然而，在东北龙虾渔业中，个人喜好各不相同。我们的研究表明，应该为龙虾捕捞者提供更多涵盖不同浮力、磨损类型和回收系统的设备。