Burn Injuries

Fires on board ships are often the most dangerous type of accident. Although a ship is surrounded by water, a fire can trap men and women in confined spaces and cause serious burns. If you have been burned on the job in the maritime industry, get immediate medical attention, but also make sure you know your rights and that you may be entitled to compensation.

What Causes Burns in Maritime Settings?

Burns are some of the most common and serious injuries in maritime workplaces. Burns can range from minor to severe and may cause permanent symptoms, disfigurement, or disability. In some cases, burns may even be fatal.

There are many ways in which a worker may be burned in the maritime industry:

• Welding equipment can cause burns in shipyards when ships are being built. To prevent this, workers should be adequately trained and apprenticed in welding and have access to all the appropriate safety clothing and equipment.
• On ships, burns can be caused by fires that may start for several reasons: faulty electrical wiring, galley fires, fuel leaks, or equipment malfunction.
• Heat-generating equipment on a ship, such as a turbine, boiler, or engine, can also cause burns by releasing steam or if a worker touches or falls into it.
• Ship workers may also be burned by hot liquids, radiation, or chemicals stored as cargo or by electrical equipment. The same potential causes are present in offshore maritime settings as well.

Types and Severity of Burns

Burns are often classified by the cause of the injury. The most common causes are scalding burns from fire, steam, other hot gases, and hot liquids.

Fire or another heat source, such as a boiler, could be the apparent cause, but there are other ways that a person can be burned. For instance, chemicals can cause burns, as can electricity, radiation, and sunlight.

Burns are also classified by severity:

• First-degree burns. First-degree burns are the mildest type of burns but can still be damaging. These burns damage the outer layer of skin only. Symptoms include red skin, swelling, and pain.
• Second-degree burns. This type of burn damages the outer layer of the skin as well as the layer underneath it. Signs of a second-degree burn include red skin, splotchy skin, swelling, and pain. There may also be blisters.
• Third-degree burns. A third-degree burn is the most severe type. It damages the deepest layers of skin and tissue underneath the skin. Symptoms include charred blackness or white areas, a waxy or leathery appearance in the skin, and sometimes numbness if nerves have been burned.

First Aid and Treatment for Burns

Even first-degree burns should be treated immediately. First aid measures for treating minor burns include cooling the area of the skin by running it under cool but not cold water.

Any clothing or jewelry near the burned area should be removed, and blisters should be treated gently so as not to break them. A pain reliever is also a good idea to help make the burn victim more comfortable.

A person needs immediate emergency medical attention for more severe burns, including second and third-degree burns. The victim should be removed from further harm until that can be administered, and the burned part or skin should be elevated and covered with a cool, moist cloth.

Medical treatment for burns beyond first aid includes:

• Administering fluids
• Cooling the burn with mist
• Wound dressings
• Burn ointments
• Antibiotics to combat infection

After immediate treatment, patients with serious burns often need ongoing care. This may include breathing assistance if the burn is around the face or throat, tube feeding to provide adequate nutrition while the body heals, and surgeries such as skin grafts and cosmetic surgery.

Complications and Lasting Burn Damage

Burns can cause severe tissue damage, but beyond this immediate damage, many burn complications range from mild to life-threatening:

• Burns may cause serious infections.
• They can also cause significant fluid loss, which may prevent the heart from pumping adequate blood to the rest of the body.
• Burns can also lead to hypothermia as the body loses heat.
• Airway burns and smoke inhalation can cause breathing problems.

A study of over 100 men and women who were burned on ships found that the most common complication was pulmonary edema or fluid buildup in the lungs.

The next most common was an infection. Nearly nine percent of the patients died as a result of severe infection.

The average time the patients had to stay in the hospital after being burned was 44 days, and the vast majority had to go through serious operations, including tracheotomies and skin grafting.

How Does Negligence Cause Maritime Burn Injuries?

In general, negligence can cause burns in the maritime industry when an employer does not provide a safe work environment. Not all hazards or accidents can be accounted for or prevented, but safety measures should be in place to significantly lower the risk of burn accidents.

For example, if an area of the ship was not kept tidy and you tripped over something and fell onto the hot surface of a boiler, your employer may be negligent.

Inadequate safety training, poor maintenance of equipment and electrical systems, and lack of safety gear could also be considered negligence.

What to Do if You Are Burned on the Job

If you suffer a burn on the job, the first thing you should do is get medical help. Call 911 if necessary to get emergency assistance, and in the meantime, get first aid. The complications of a burn can be worse if it is not treated right away.

After you have received emergency care, be sure to get an incident report created and filed with your company. This and your medical treatment records will help you get compensation if you are entitled to it.

Burn injuries can require months of treatment and may cause lasting damage and disability. You may be able to use the Jones Act to seek compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, lost future earnings, and pain and suffering. Your spouse may be entitled to loss of consortium benefits if your injuries are severe.

Work with a maritime lawyer to determine all of your legal options. You might have multiple ways to seek compensation. An experienced lawyer gives you the best chance of getting the compensation you need to cope with a serious injury.