Shipyard Fall of 35 Feet Inside Vessel Injures Worker

WILMINGTON, De.– A shipyard worker was hoisted by firefighters from the hull of  ship after he fell 35 feet while unloading cargo.

Rescuers descended into the Port of Wilmington on Saturday afternoon to rescue the worker by strapping him into a stokes basket. The extent of his injuries has not been revealed.

Inadequate fall protection continues to lead as the top OSHA citation for shipyards, and slips, trips, and falls continues to be the number two cause of employee injury on a shipyard, with falls in general being one of the leading causes of death in shipyards.

OSHA reports that potential hazards include:

Deck Openings and Edges

• Falls from deck openings
• Falls into open holes

Scaffolds

• Falls from ladders
• Falls from scaffolds

In order to reduce the risk of falls in shipyards, employers are required per OSHA standard 29 CFR 1915.152(b) to conduct a thorough hazard assessment to identify potential fall hazards that could harm or injure employees.

Upon conducting the hazard assessment and identifying fall risks, employers are then required to protect employees from falls via a personal fall arrest system, or any other means of fall protection per OSHA standard 29 CFR 1915.152(a).

Guardrails are another means of adequate fall protection, and should be used around open holes, stairs, on scaffolding, etc. to prevent accident falls into opening over 5 feet where a worker would fall injure themselves either fatally or non-fatally.

OSHA identifies these other potential hazards for walking and working surfaces on ships:

• Manholes and Other Small Openings- Flush manholes and other small openings must be covered or provided with a 30-inch-high guard. [29 CFR 1915.73(b)
• Open Hatches- Open hatches must be protected by coamings of at least 24-inches-high or adequately guarded. [29 CFR 1915.73(c)]
• Decks and Other Flat Surfaces- Unguarded edges more than 5 feet above solid surfaces require guardrails. [29 CFR 1915.73(d)]
• Open Bilges- When bilges, plates, or flooring are removed, guardrails or adequate flooring must be provided. [29 CFR 1915.73(f)
• Unguarded edges above water require guardrails, or workers must wear personal flotation devices (PFDs). [29 CFR 1915.73(e)]
• Gratings, Walkways and Catwalks- Gratings, walkways, and catwalks, from which sections or ladders have been removed, must be barricaded with adequate guardrails. [29 CFR 1915.73(g)