Maritime crew working on deck bargeOne of the places a maritime worker's job duties could take them is aboard a deck barge. Barges that have a main deck that is flat and continuous are deck barges.

There are many different types of accidents that could possibly occur aboard such barges. Deck barge accidents can cause considerable harm to maritime workers. The injuries from such an accident could leave a worker extremely concerned about their financial and employment future. Lawyers experienced in matters involving maritime injuries can provide victims of maritime accidents, such as deck barge accidents, with explanations of their rights and give them guidance regarding what options related to compensation they may have.

As deck barge accidents can be very impactful, it is important for maritime workers and employers that are involved in deck barge work to be aware of what things can have major safety implications aboard such barges. Examples of things that can significantly impact how safe a deck barge is for workers and how likely accidents are to occur in relation to work aboard such barges include:

  • What fire prevention methods are taken in connection to the barge work. Without proper fire prevention methods being taken, significant fire hazards could arise in connection to barge work.
  • The condition of the walking surfaces aboard the barge. Certain things can create slipping or tripping hazards on such surfaces. It is important to keep barge walking surfaces clear of such hazards, particularly in areas where a fall would be of a great distance or potentially be a fall overboard.
  • Where work is being performed aboard the barge. Some barge work can involve working in confined spaces. Confined spaces can raise some unique worker safety issues that it is critical to properly address.
  • The equipment on the barge. There are many different types of equipment that can be aboard barges, including: winches, cranes, derricks and hoists. Among the things that could create safety hazards for workers in connection to such equipment are: the equipment not being kept in a good condition, the equipment being used in an improper way or workers not being properly trained on using the equipment.

As this illustrates, there are many different worker safety concerns that could come up in connection to work aboard deck barges, and it is very important for these concerns to be handled appropriately.

Source: Occupational Safety and Health Administration, "Deck Barge Safety," Accessed May 19, 2016

Paul T. Hofmann
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Focused on personal injury, with an emphasis on maritime, railroad and construction worker tort claims.
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