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5 Common Types of Dry Dock Accidents: Do You Know Your Legal Rights?
Accidents in the workplace can and do happen on a regular basis and dry docks are definitely prone to dangerous incidents as any hardworking maritime accident attorneys will confirm. Here is a look at the sort of typical dry dock accidents that occur and a brief overview of the legal implications when someone is injured in this tough workplace environment.
Fire is the biggest threat
Any sort of fire on a ship is very bad news and even when a ship is docked the threat is no less dangerous or destructive. In fact, fire is the leading cause of dry dock accidents and there are a number of reasons why this the case. There are a number of highly flammable materials present in a dry dock environment and these are routinely used in the maintenance, construction, or repair of a ship. The presence of fuel, gas, paint, gas, and welding equipment, for instance, all have the capacity to cause a serious accident if health and safety procedures are not robust enough.
The risk of slips and falls
Another very common issue is workers suffering slips and falls while carrying out their duties, usually as a result of a lapse in safety protocols or safety standards. It is often the case that a reported accident involves a worker who has tripped over some sort of material such as tools, spare parts, or pipework that has been left on the ground. Also, the threat of liquid spillages is very real, and if a leak or spill has not been cleaned up properly, it can be an accident waiting to happen. If scaffolding and platforms have not been used correctly or are not secure, that is also a clear danger to safety where a worker could fall from height.
Lifting and carrying
Injuries when carrying or lifting often occur as a result of incorrect training or when storage standards mean that the risk of loading accidents is heightened. As you would expect in a dry dock, very heavy parts and materials are constantly being loaded and unloaded from ships, and serious injuries can happen when these loads fall.
PPE
Everyone should have the correct protective clothing and equipment to allow them to carry out their work duties as safely as possible. If they are not wearing a safety helmet or a harness when working at height, for instance, that is when serious injuries are most likely to happen.
The right training
Everyone working in a place such as a dry dock should have the right amount of training and certification to carry out their duties safely. A typical scenario when it comes to crane operation, for instance, is the fact that there should always be more than one worker present when a crane is in operation and the operator needs to have the required experience and license to operate the machinery.
Dry docks are often a dangerous workplace environment and safety is compromised when dock operators and vessel companies don’t abide by the laws that are in place to protect the workers loading and unloading the ships. As a result of the unique nature of some of the setting these accidents, it often calls for a maritime lawyer to resolve what can be a complicated claim to prove negligence and gain compensation for injuries sustained.
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