Illness and Disease in Maritime Workers

Illness and disease in maritime workers are unfortunately common, but these risks of the job are often overlooked. Working in close quarters with other crew members puts maritime workers at an increased risk for infectious illnesses. If you get seriously sick working in a maritime job, contact a maritime lawyer to find out how to seek compensation.

What Is the Risk of Getting Sick in the Maritime Industry

Maritime jobs are known to be dangerous compared to many other jobs. Much of the attention goes to accidents and injuries, but these workers also face elevated risks of illness and disease.

According to studies of maritime workers, illnesses are far more common than injuries. Workers report up to four times more incidents of illness than injuries acquired on the job.

Illness is obviously detrimental to individuals in the maritime industry, but it also has more far-reaching consequences. Illness causes more disability and makes more seamen unfit for work than injuries do.

Why Are Maritime Workers at Risk for Illness?

There are a few reasons to explain why workers in maritime jobs might have higher risks of getting sick. Most importantly, these workers are often in closer contact with each other and for longer periods of time than people in other industries.

This is especially true for seamen working on vessels at sea. They are often at sea for months at a time. They may work in close quarters with each other and in areas with dry, recirculated air that allows pathogens to spread from one person to another.

Maritime workers are also more likely to be exposed to harmful chemicals, which could cause or worsen skin or respiratory infections.

Shared food and eating areas can also contribute to infections. If workers do not strictly follow good food hygiene practices, gastrointestinal infections can spread rapidly among crew members.

Who Is at Risk for Illness in Maritime Jobs?

Anyone who works in the maritime industry may become sick while on the job. Those who work in close and confined quarters with other workers are at the highest risk. Poor ventilation and being close to other people make it easier for diseases to spread. For these reasons, workers on vessels or offshore rigs are more likely to get sick than port workers or longshoremen.

Studies show that non-officers are more likely to get sick on vessels than officers. Among non-officers in studies, deck workers had higher rates of illness and disease than engine room workers. Galley workers are more likely to have skin diseases.

What Are Common Illnesses in Maritime Workers?

Studies show that several broad categories of illness or disease are found in maritime workers. The most common, according to various studies, are:

• Dental diseases
• Gastrointestinal diseases
• Respiratory infections
• Dermatological (skin) diseases
• Cardiovascular disease

Many, but not all, of these are caused by infection. Pathogens most likely transmit respiratory, gastrointestinal, and dermatological conditions. Cardiovascular disease may result from poor diet and lack of fitness in workers. Dental diseases could result from a lack of preventative dental care.

In addition to these broad categories, maritime workers are at risk for some specific illnesses and diseases:

• Flu, Cold, and COVID. Common respiratory illnesses circulate readily in maritime settings and can easily transmit from one person to another.
• Less common is pneumonia, which can result from inhaling harmful gases or fumes.
• Norovirus is a gastrointestinal infection that tends to occur in outbreaks on ships. It is common on cruise ships and is transmitted orally by touching contaminated surfaces and then the mouth or eating contaminated food.
• Bacterial GI Infections. Some typical gastrointestinal illnesses are caused by bacteria like E. coli, Clostridium, and Campylobacter.
• Hepatitis A. This viral liver infection is transmitted by a fecal-to-oral root. Poor food hygiene often causes outbreaks.

Cancer in Maritime Workers

Maritime workers have an increased risk of developing cancer. This has been confirmed by multiple studies. Although it is not always possible to connect cancer in these workers to a specific cause, the increased risk is likely due to exposure to toxic substances.

Some of the types of cancers seen in maritime workers according to studies are:

• Mesothelioma
• Lung cancer
• Skin cancer
• Leukemia
• Bladder cancer

Respiratory cancers like lung cancer and mesothelioma are probably caused by inhaling toxic substances. Past heavy use of asbestos in ships and shipyards has caused exposure and mesothelioma in many workers. Skin cancer may be caused by sun exposure, while leukemia has been associated with nuclear facilities.

Workers can protect themselves and lower the risks of developing cancer by following safety protocols. This may include using appropriate safety gear, like respirators, to avoid contact with or inhalation of chemicals.

How to Stay Healthy in a Maritime Job

Preventing illness in maritime jobs is the responsibility of employers and ship owners, but workers can take precautions to reduce their risks. Employers have a responsibility for making workplaces as safe as possible, which includes measures to reduce illness:

• Proper training for workers
• Hygiene procedures for galleys
• Regular cleaning and disinfection of common areas
• Providing adequate workers to maintain cleanliness and hygiene
• Implementing and following procedures for sick workers

Individual workers can protect themselves by knowing and following safety, cleanliness, and hygiene protocols. Good personal hygiene can also keep you safe, for instance, by washing your hands regularly, especially before eating. Avoid touching your face to lower the risk of transmission of pathogens.

Taking good care of your overall health also reduces your risk of getting sick. To boost your immunity, get adequate sleep, eat well, manage stress, and stay fit as much as possible. Avoid workers with symptoms of illness and report them as appropriate.

What to Do if You Get Sick on the Job in the Maritime Industry

If you get sick at work, you have rights. A minor illness that doesn’t disrupt your work, require medical care, or prevent you from earning is easy to manage. However, if you have a more serious illness that requires more extensive care, leaves you disabled, causes significant pain and suffering, or prevents you from working, you might need to exercise your right to seek compensation.

Report all illnesses and symptoms and seek medical care as needed. It’s a good idea to record any recollections you have of how you might have gotten sick. For example, if you saw poor hygiene in the galley or a sick worker not wearing a required mask, it could be important.

Contact a maritime lawyer to discuss your options. Maritime laws that allow workers to seek compensation, like the Jones Act and the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act, address illnesses as well as injuries.

Your lawyer can help you determine which law applies in your situation, help you file a lawsuit or claim, and give you the best chance of recovering damages.