Deckhand Accidents

Ship deckhands are exposed to a large number of people, objects, and environments. This high-exposure environment significantly increases the risk of contracting a viral and/or bacterial illness. These illnesses may result from poor ship hygiene practices, lack of protocol, food poisoning, or other incidents.

Some of these illnesses can result in serious internal infections that cause long-term devastating effects on bodily systems.

Deckhands also spend a significant amount of time on the ship deck. This increases the risk of becoming a victim of a weather-related accident.

For example, slips and falls, overboard incidents, and accidents with heavy machinery are significantly more likely to occur during a storm. Other catastrophic accidents, including ship collisions and grounding, are also more likely to occur due to decreased visibility.

Deckhands are responsible for numerous ship-related tasks, including assisting with basic ship equipment procedures. This generally involves cleaning the deck, tying and untying the vessel down at the port, and operating heavy machinery.

Deckhands are at a significant risk of suffering from an overuse injury due to their line of work. Maritime workers often perform laborious and repetitive job tasks. These elements, in addition to long hours, put workers at an increased risk of suffering from musculoskeletal injuries.

The majority of these injuries result in chronic, lingering pain, and eventually leave workers unable to return to their jobs.

Slippery ship decks are a common cause of slip and fall accidents. Slips and falls can lead to broken bones, torn ligaments, and/or even overboard accidents. Slips and falls are generally a result of an error on behalf of another crew member and/or the employer’s failure to enforce safety measures after a spill.

Slips and falls can also occur when ship operators knowingly travel into a storm system.

Other unsafe work environment practices, such as equipment stacked on the ground, can also cause deckhand falls and injuries.

Deckhand slip and fall accidents could result in numerous injuries, including broken bones, lacerations, back injuries, and more.

Poorly-stacked cargo can lead to numerous accidents and serious injuries, including broken bones, crushing injuries, and death. Employers are generally responsible for any serious injury that results from a cargo accident.

Maritime deck workers are at a significant risk of suffering from serious injuries in the event of a ship collision. These injuries can be especially serious in circumstances involving heavy machinery, falls from heights, and overboard accidents.

Many accidents that result in serious injuries involve some form of heavy machinery or equipment. These accidents could result from inadequate training, poor management, and/or insufficient equipment repairs and maintenance.

Failure to maintain adequate safety gear can result in serious injury-causing accidents. OSHA requires water vessel operators to make safety gear available for all workers and other ship passengers, including:

• Life Jackets
• Lifeboats
• Rescue Lines
• Immersion Suits
• Job-Related Personal Protective Equipment

Deckhands are at significant risk of suffering from a catastrophic accident on the job. These accidents result in serious injuries, including burns, amputations, and death. Examples of catastrophic accidents may include:

• Collisions
• Falls-from-Heights
• Fires/Explosions
• Grounding
• Overboard Accidents