10 Types of Personal Injuries Seafarers Must Be Aware Of

 

Getting injured or hurt while working on ships is very common. It’s hard to find a seafarer who hasn’t been through an accident and hurt himself. A recent report conducted by a maritime organization states that more than 70% of personal injuries take place because of sheer negligence and failure in following safety procedures.

Injuries on ships ranges from minor to the most gruesome types; some even leading to fatalities. Though seafarers are aware of these injuries, most of them tend to ignore safety procedure. However, in order to ensure one’s personal safety, along with safety of the ship and its crew, it is imperative to remember some very common personal injuries while working on board ships.

1. Eye Injury

Protection of eyes is of paramount importance while working on ships. Shipboard jobs such as welding, chipping, painting, and working with hazardous material such as oil, chemicals etc. pose great danger to the eyes of ship personnel. Appropriate googles or protective equipment should be worn while carrying out such jobs.

2. Hand and Foot Injury

Working on ships requires handling hot and sharp objects. A variety of gloves are used to protect hands of the seafarers; however, several accidents have occurred in past because of using loose or wet/oily gloves. Hand injuries have occurred because of accidents due to trapping of gloves on drum ends or machinery, slipping of objects, loss of grip etc.

Moreover, inappropriate footwear such as sandals and flip-flops give little protection to feet from falling loads, hot work and hazardous materials. Such inappropriate footwear can also lead to trips and falls. It is therefore important to wear proper personal protective equipment for protection of hands and feet.

3. Injuries From Falls and Trips 

Injuries due to trips and falls occur due to slippery floor, oily surfaces, openings in the floor, tool/ spare parts lying on floor etc. Accidents because of falling from heights, tripping off the rails, and slipping over ladders have also been commonly reported in the past.

4. Head Injury

Head injuries are caused due to failure to duck, when stepping over coamings etc. and thus hitting the head on the door frame or bulkhead. Such injuries can also be caused while working on machinery systems or due to slipping and falling. Make sure you are wearing helmets all the time while working or entering confined spaces.

5. Injuries from Deck Operations such as Mooring and Cargo Handling

Working on decks during mooring and cargo operations provide the circumstances for potentially serious accidents. Seafarers should never stand in a bight of a rope or near a rope under tension. Also, while handling cargo operations, all safety precautions should be followed.