Maritime Hand Injuries

Hand injuries are unfortunately common in the maritime industry and can be debilitating. Maritime workers are covered by laws that allow them to seek compensation after workplace accidents cause injuries. Contact a maritime lawyer for more information.

About Hand Injuries in Maritime Jobs

According to the International Marine Contractors Association (IMCA), which represents offshore workers, hand and finger injuries account for nearly 20% of their reports. While this doesn’t include seamen and shipyard workers, it illustrates how easily the hand can be injured in maritime jobs.

Maritime jobs have many inherent risks, including those that can lead to hand injuries. A lot of machinery, equipment, and lines can cause injuries if not used correctly or if one malfunctions. Cargo, reaching into tight spaces, trip hazards and falls, and many other factors make maritime workplaces hazardous.

All kinds of maritime workers are at risk of hand injuries. Those at the highest risk include deckhands, workers who maintain, repair, or work with equipment and machinery, and workers who handle cargo. Galley workers are also at risk because they work with sharp knives.

What Causes Maritime Hand Injuries?

Maritime workers are particularly susceptible to hand injuries because they work with their hands, manipulating and handling machinery, equipment, tools, and cargo.

Many maritime hand injuries are preventable. Some of the common factors that contribute to or cause these injuries include:

• Lack of or incorrect use of personal protective equipment
• Equipment that is not working correctly or hasn’t been maintained appropriately
• Trip and fall hazards, like cluttered decks or damaged ladders and gangways
• Inadequate risk assessments or lack of awareness of risks
• Poor judgment
• Inadequate training or lack of experience
• Lack of supervision
• Poor communication between workers
• Unsecured or poorly secured cargo
• Incorrect mooring procedures
• Cold weather conditions

Common Types of Hand Injuries in Maritime Jobs

These are some of the most common types of hand injuries that occur in maritime workers:

• Fractures
• Pinch and crush injuries
• Lacerations
• Abrasions
• Burns
• Frostbite
• Repetitive stress injuries

The worst hand injuries in the maritime industry result in amputations of fingers or the entire hand.

How to Prevent Hand Injuries in the Maritime Industry

Many injuries in the maritime industry, including hand injuries, are preventable with proper precautions. Adequate training for a worker’s job and in safety procedures are vital to working more safely. Workers should have access to and be required to wear appropriate personal protective equipment.

Equipment must be well maintained and operating correctly to prevent accidents. Workers should follow job procedures and be prepared to use good judgment when something goes wrong, including stopping the job and requesting assistance. Too often, workers feel pressured to get jobs done quickly, even in unsafe conditions.

Examples of Hand Injuries in Maritime Jobs

These real examples of injuries to hands and fingers illustrate how easily an accident or mistake can lead to significant consequences.

Hand Trapped in Moving Belt

A crew member on a ship was performing maintenance on an air handling unit humidifier when his hand was trapped and injured. He touched the belt to gauge the tension, which triggered the air fan to rotate and the belt to move. The machine pulled his hand into it, trapping it between a pulley and the belt. His forearm was trapped under a metal guard.

The worker suffered fractured bones in his hand and arm. The accident was caused by the door on the humidifier, which created unexpected air flow and a vacuum that caused the belt to move and pull his arm. Clearer instructions and procedures when maintaining the machine could prevent similar accidents in the future.

Crushed Finger in Crane Accident

Another incident occurred aboard a ship as workers disassembled a mobile gantry crane. One worker attempted to move one of the crane’s legs without help, causing a wheel to turn, the leg to collapse, and his finger to be crushed between the leg and the deck.

Better communication between workers could have prevented this accident and hand injury. The workers also failed to follow company procedures. The risk assessment for the job was inadequate. Finally, the crane had no locks on its wheels, which would have prevented the shift that trapped the worker’s finger.

Hand Laceration in Galley Accident

Galley workers are at risk of hand injuries just as cooks in shore-based restaurants are. In this incident, a ship galley cook cut his hand badly, resulting in surgery to repair damaged nerves.

Although experienced in his job, he made several mistakes. He was not wearing appropriate PPE, the meat he was cutting was not at the right temperature to allow for minimum force, and his cutting technique was unsafe.

What to Do if You Suffer a Hand Injury in a Maritime Job

Immediate medical care should be the priority in any hand injury accident on a vessel or other maritime setting. Get first aid immediately, call for emergency services if necessary, and follow up with any necessary treatments or surgeries.

It’s also important to ensure a detailed and accurate report is filed to record the incident. If your supervisor is responsible for this, ensure it is done and that you get a copy of the report.

Finally, you can seek compensation based on one or more maritime laws to cover medical and other expenses. If you work on a vessel, you may be covered by the Jones Act. This law allows seamen to seek compensation when negligence plays a role in their injuries.

If you work offshore or in a shipyard, other laws may cover you and provide a way to claim workers’ compensation. You should be able to get compensation for medical costs, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

The best way to ensure you get the compensation you need is to work with an experienced maritime lawyer. A lawyer will review your case, determine the applicable laws, and file a claim or lawsuit on your behalf.