Tugboat and Barge Accidents and Injuries

Tugboat crew members have the dangerous job of maneuvering through tight spaces, often while attached to large cargo-carrying barges. Many workers aboard tugboats have been in accidents that caused injuries and have even been killed on the job. If you are a tugboat or barge worker, know the rights you have in the case of an on-the-job accident.

About Tugboats and Barges

Tugboats and the workers who operate them have an essential job in the maritime industry. Tugboats are used to tow or push larger vessels.

These are ships that can’t power themselves for one reason or another. For example, a tugboat might tow a large ship through a narrow canal or a busy harbor, pushing a disabled ship back to port or tow oil platforms and barges.

Tugboats may even break ice, fight fires, or salvage stranded ships. They are small but sturdy and powerful boats, up to the task of moving larger vessels.

Barges are flat-bottomed vessels without engines or motors, so they do not have their own means of propulsion. They must be pushed or pulled by tugboats.

Barges move cargo along rivers, through canals, across lakes, and within ports. They are only used on inland waters. Barges offer cost-savings compared to ships.

What Are the Types of Tugboats and Barges? 

There are several different kinds of tugboats, but three main types are distinguished by where they operate and what they do.

All of these are covered under federal maritime law, so if you work aboard any of these kinds of tugboats and are injured in a work accident, you may be entitled to compensation.

• River tugboats. These are also known as push boats, and they push or tow vessels on rivers, typically those that have broken down and need a lift back to the shore for repairs. These tugboats are specifically designed to work on rivers and, while powerful, are not appropriate for work on the ocean or harbors.
• Harbor tugboats. These tugboats are bigger and more powerful than river tugboats. They are used to steer larger ships through crowded harbors. Harbors employ these tugboats and crew them as needed.
• Ocean tugboats. Tugboats operating in the open ocean are the largest and most powerful of these boats. There are different styles of ocean tugboats depending on how they connect to the ships they are towing. The winches used aboard these tugboats are large and powerful.

There are also several types of barges, classified by size and use:

• Deck barges. Deck barges have a large platform for moving cargo. They are often used for things like construction equipment, rocks, or cattle. They can also be used for additional workspace in a port.
• Hopper barges. Hopper barges are double-hulled and used to transport large amounts of cargo, usually grain, sugar, ore, coal, steel, or timber products. They can be covered or open.
• Crane barges. These barges have a crane on their decks, which lifts cargo. As with deck barges, they can also be used in port.
• Liquid mud barges. Liquid mud barges are equipped with special tanks that can carry, circulate, and discharge oilfield drilling fluids.
• Shale barges. Shale barges are used to transport oil field waste, including liquids and shale cuttings, to be disposed of properly.

The Dangers of Working on Tugboats and Barges

All maritime jobs include inherent risks and dangers, but the work that tugboats do puts them in a special category. Compared to other boats, tugboats are small yet require a lot of equipment. This means space is at a premium, and crowded boats lead to accidents.

Tugboats have hawsers and winches to connect to ships under great pressure. A snapped hawser can cause a lot of damage. These are just some of the things that make tugboat work so dangerous.

Some of the other leading causes of accidents aboard tugboats include:

• Mechanical failures. Defective equipment, old machinery, and equipment that hasn’t been adequately maintained are all things that can cause accidents and resulting injuries. Tugboats require a lot of equipment to do their work, which can be harmful when that equipment fails.
• Collisions. Even with careful piloting, these accidents can happen. Tugboats often navigate tight spaces. Pilots must be highly skilled, well-practiced, and experienced to navigate these spaces without collisions.
• Capsizing. Capsizing is a risk on any type of boat, but it is the leading cause of injuries and deaths on tugboats. Their small size, especially in the open ocean, can lead to tragic capsizing incidents.
• Falls. Because tugboats are small and crowded, trips, slips, and falls are not uncommon for workers aboard them. A fall can lead to an injury or even an overboard accident. Wet surfaces can cause slips, while crowded conditions cause trips.
• Operator Error. Crew members who make poor decisions when operating tugboats can cause accidents and injuries. Operators may make mistakes when they are not properly trained, fatigued, or under the influence.

Barges can also be dangerous in certain circumstances. Injuries can occur when cargo shifts due to being improperly secured. Machinery or equipment, like cranes, can cause accidents and injure workers when not used correctly or when they malfunction.

Barges can also cause significant damage and harm when they are not well controlled. They move according to the tugboats, and any errors in tugboat operation can lead to a collision. Barges sometimes collide with docks and piers, bridges, and other vessels, causing accidents and injuries.

Tugboat and Barge Accidents

Many accidents occur on tugboats from time to time, and that makes the news. In the best-case scenario, workers are only injured, but too often, there are fatalities.

Tugboat Deckhad Fatalities

A young woman on her way to becoming a tugboat pilot died while working as a deckhand aboard a tugboat in California. While towing a barge, the hawser connecting her to it hit her with enough force to slam her into the railing and kill her.

In 2010, a snapped hawser on a tugboat working in the United Kingdom struck and killed a deckhand. This kind of accident is not uncommon on tugboats. Being in the snap-back zone or using a hawser that is too weak for the job can increase the risk.

Capsized Tugboat

In an incident in Long Island in 2014, four people had to be pulled from the water when the tugboat they were aboard capsized. The four men survived, but barely.

They said a big wave turned the boat over. The accident occurred in the same area as another capsized tugboat just two days earlier. That boat also overturned when a large wave struck it.

Tugboat Collision

Most tugboat incidents are accidents, but negligence is usually involved in some way. In some cases, it is more obvious than in others. A tugboat pilot collided with a duck boat and killed tourists aboard that boat on the Delaware River in 2010.

The pilot was operating the tugboat while on his cell phone with his family when the accident occurred. It was a clear case of criminal negligence, and the captain went to prison.

Barge Collision

In 2023, a pilot caused a costly collision on the Mississippi River. Towing pilots are required to signal passing and maneuvering procedures during operations. The pilot, in this situation, forgot the agreed-upon arrangement. This resulted in a collision between two vessels.

The accident caused a large ethanol spill, over $1 million in damages to the barges involved, and two minor injuries. Investigators of the incident emphasized that pilots should verbally repeat the passing arrangements to better remember how to maneuver.

Getting Legal Help for Tugboat and Barge Accidents

If you work aboard a tugboat, you have a naturally risky job. You know the risks going into the job, but your employer should have taken the necessary steps to make your working conditions as safe as possible.

This means providing adequate training, maintaining equipment, and providing safety equipment. If you are injured in a tugboat accident, you have rights, which may include compensation.

Loved ones who lose someone to a fatal tugboat incident also have rights. If your employer denies you compensation, you can contact an experienced maritime lawyer to help you get the money you deserve.