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Lack of Safety Procedures Can Make Maritime Accidents Deadly

There is danger aboard every vessel. Maritime work naturally has many unforeseen circumstances that can turn an ordinary day into a person’s last day. However, it is not only the unforeseen circumstances that turn dangerous situations into deadly ones. Sometimes, it is the lack of safety procedures, protocols and equipment that cause fatal maritime accidents.

Three Safety Procedures All Vessels Should Implement

In order to prevent injuries to seamen and other maritime workers, it is important for every vessel to:
  • Know When to Abandon Ship: Seamen naturally want to take all possible steps to protect their vessel, but there may come a time when the ship must be abandoned in order to save lives. Knowing what to do when you have to abandon ship for the sea is critical to survival.
  • Know When to Call for Help: It can take some time for help to arrive to a vessel on the high seas. Thus, it is important to know when and how to call for help. Since help is likely to come in the form of a helicopter or another vessel, it is important to know what to do when help arrives so that help can get to the injured seamen as soon as possible.
  • Know What to Do When a Man is Overboard: There is always a danger that someone is going to fall overboard, and those left on deck must immediately work to save the person who fell overboard. All crewmembers should be instructed on how to use appropriate life saving gear so that the person who fell can quickly be brought back on board.

Of course other procedures such as fighting fires, preventing slip and falls, regularly checking equipment, and proper communication are also critical for the safety of seamen. Specialized maritime workers who work with specific types of equipment, such as commercial fishermen, or who carry specific cargo, such as barges, may require additional safety precautions.

What to Do if Your Loved One has Died at Sea

Sometimes safety procedures aren’t followed. Other times safety procedures aren’t enough to prevent maritime fatalities. If your loved one has died at sea, then you may be entitled to damages pursuant to the Death on the High Seas Act or other maritime laws.

Contact a New Jersey and New York maritime lawyer today at 1-800-3-MAY-DAY or via our online contact form. Our New York and New Jersey maritime accident attorneys will work hard to get you the recovery that you deserve.

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