Beware of the voracious Caribbean predator known as the Pacific White. It devours everything in its path, and few phytoplankton escape. Is the Pacific White a shark? No, it’s a Jumbo Shrimp.

And an abundance of Jumbo Shrimp calls for personal protection and detectors from MSA.

Much of the US shrimp supply doesn’t come from open ocean, but from inland shrimp farms operated by C.I. Oceanos S.A. of Cartagena, Colombia. These “farmed” shrimp grow in a swirling soup of nutrients that keeps them active and fit. Intentionally or not, shrimp frequently attack humans. They leap from the water and cause nuisance injuries when bony spines near their mouths prick poolside workers.

That’s one of the reasons that, as in other industries, complete head protection is an absolute must in the shrimp business. Shrimp farm workers wear MSA’s V-Gard® Helmets with Defender® Faceshields and Sound Control™ Hearing Protection.
But there are greater hazards. Oceanos ships over $22 million of shrimp a year. To keep their product fresh, they pack it in ice they make themselves. And workers in their refrigeration plants count on MSA’s FiveStar® Alarm for early warning of ammonia leaks.

Reliable communication between Oceanos’ Atlantic and Pacific coast operations is crucial, so Oceanos owns and maintains several communications towers. The workers who service the towers rely on MSA fall protection.

Urigo Ltd., a prominent South American company that has represented MSA products for over 30 years, supplies a complete range of safety products and equipment to Oceanos. Thanks to them, it’s relatively safe to go into the water!