Attorneys for the maritime worker
since 1970

Common injuries that occur on the ship deck

A ship deck is an unsafe place to work, but many people still need to do this work to earn a living and provide necessities to fellow countrymen. The injuries that can occur might mean that the worker has to take time off of work and get medical care. The safety of these workers is important, so employers must take the necessary steps to help them stay safe.

There are some very specific hazards that these workers face. If you are a deck worker, you need to be aware of certain injuries that can come with these work conditions. Here are a few of the more common ones that you should know about:

Head injuries

Ship decks have several things that might lead to a head injury. You might slip and fall, which could result in your hitting your head. There is also the risk of something swinging or falling that could hit you in the head. Injuries to the head are especially troublesome because you might feel like you aren’t injured at first, but the effects of the injury might become evident over time.

Back injuries

Back injuries can come from an accident, but they can also be due to the strenuous work conditions that you have on a ship deck. The heavy lifting, bending and repetitive motion of the job can lead to cumulative motion injuries. These will appear slowly and will usually start with a backache and then get progressively worse.

Cuts and bruises

Cuts and bruises are fairly common on the deck of a ship. While many don’t cause any problems, some can be more serious. The conditions of working out in the elements and having germs, bacteria and contaminants around can lead to open wounds becoming infected. An infection can cause serious issues, especially since antibiotics aren’t usually present on these seafaring vessels.

Amputations

The heavy machinery, cabling systems, and air compression tools on the deck come with a risk of amputations. The cables are a huge risk because they are under so much tension when they are under load. If one snaps, it can easily slice through a leg, arm or torso. As you can imagine, this would be a big problem out at sea where medical care is limited.

When an accident takes away your ability to earn a living, you need to take action. Filing a claim for compensation might help these workers to get the money they need to continue paying their bills after the accident.