If you work on a ship, it’s crucially important that the boat has all of the different safety systems and devices that you need in the event of an accident or some other sort of maritime incident. Without these in place, workers could face far too great of risks.
For example, it’s important for cargo ships to have lifejackets for everyone that may be on board. If there are children on board, as sometimes happens when the families of the crew come along, then proper infant life jackets need to be supplied. In fact, some have said that it’s wise for ships to carry surplus lifejackets so that a damaged one could be replaced with a spare, if necessary.
But these are certainly not all of the safety systems that you need. You may also need things like lifeboats, hearing protection, outerwear for inclement weather, gloves, tethers, harnesses, eye protection and much more.
Suffering significant injuries
When a problem arises on a ship, if the ship isn’t properly outfitted, injuries can become much more severe than they would’ve been otherwise. The lifejacket is perhaps the most obvious example, as someone could pass away when they otherwise would have survived.
But smaller types of safety gear also matter. A worker who has to handle ropes and chains without gloves could suffer serious hand injuries. Workers who don’t have proper outerwear could suffer from hypothermia or other such conditions.
At the end of the day, if you did get injured on the ship and you believe that it happened because of the lack of safety devices or that it was made worse, it’s very important for you to know exactly what legal steps to take.