Over the years, people have become more and more aware that working at sea is very dangerous. This is in part because of the fatality rate in the commercial fishing industry, which makes it one of the most dangerous jobs that a person can have.
However, most workers will not lose their lives on the job, and most are not on fishing boats to begin with. But that doesn’t mean that there is no risk. It also doesn’t mean that you should ignore potential injury risks just because the job is less likely to be fatal.
For instance, studies have found that deck workers face particularly high injury risks to their hands and wrists. These are higher than the same risks for engine workers – although engine workers face their own set of unique risks. Deck workers have a very physical, high-stress job that often involves the use of their hands on ropes, cables and other devices, and this simply means that they could suffer serious and potentially career-altering injuries at any moment.
What if you are a seriously injured seaman?
Suffering from an injury like this while you’re out at sea can be devastating. It can take time to get the medical care that you need, and the injury can lead to a lot of problems with the future of your career. In some cases, you may not even be able to return to the work that you used to do.
If any of this happens to you, you have a lot of financial concerns to keep in mind, from all of the wages that you may lose to the cost of the medical care when you eventually get back to land. Always be sure that you know about your legal options at a time like this.