Marine and Shipyard Case Overviews

A description of three marine and shipyard accident scenarios and some of the related issues:

1. Shipyard Worker Accident
2. Seaman Back Injury
3. Loading Crane Accident

Scenario 1: Shipyard Worker Accident

A shipyard worker fell into a cargo hatch and sustained severe injuries.

Issues:

• What were the worker’s kinematics and mechanism of injury?
  
• Were there defects in design, manufacture, or operation of the cargo system?
  
• Were appropriate warnings and safety measures in operation?
  
• Does the accident reconstruction agree with descriptions of the accident?
  
• What measures would have prevented the accident?
  

Scenario 2: Seaman Back Injury

A seaman sustained a herniated disc while pulling on a heavy rope.

Issues:

• What was the biomechanical mechanism of the injury?
  
• Were there predisposing medical factors?
  
• Do the descriptions of the accident agree with the biomechanical reconstruction?
  
• What measures would have prevented the accident?
  

Scenario 3: Loading Crane Accident

A fisherman was hit on the head by a load dropped from a loading crane and sustained severe head injuries.

Issues:

• What was the mechanism of injury?
  
• Was equipment malfunction or operator error a factor in causing the injury?
  
• How could the injury have been prevented?