Drilling down from our previous article on what OSHA Fall Protection is, let’s take a look now at OSHA Maritime Fall Protection as it specifically relates to hazards in the maritime industry. Maritime workers involved in ship repairing and shipbuilding often carry out tasks on greasy, slippery surfaces, elevated platforms, and other potentially hazardous surface areas. For work on vessels in motion, or on water docked on a pier, shifting of channels or waves and wakes causing sudden movement are even more likely to result in falls. These unique behavioral, environmental and operational demands create high risks for maritime industry workers.
In this blog, we will look at a number of potential fall hazards like slip, trip, and fall incidents in building, remodeling, and modernizing maritime vessels, and how to prevent falls from occurring. Also, we will mention how OSHA outlines necessary safety measures for maritime fall protection.
Types of Maritime Fall Hazards
The maritime industry faces certain very specific types of fall hazards and understanding them is the first step for developing safety protocols.
Slippery Surfaces
Slippery surfaces are very common in the maritime industry due to the operations carried out on board to reach other work areas. Unless work is being performed while dry-docked in a shipyard, decks and walkways are often wet and slippery due to constant contact with water from the sea, rain, or onboard activities. The risk also increases if a worker is carrying a heavy load, in a hurry to get somewhere, or working in bad weather conditions. Even a minor slip on deck could result in broken bones or bruises.
Falls and Drowning
Falls on maritime vessels could be quite injurious to the workers and even involve drowning, especially when the worker falls overboard without their life vests on. Insufficient safety procedures, faulty equipment, and a lack of guardrails or proper harnesses result in disastrous situations.
When there’s a possibility of an employee going into the water, they are to wear a personal flotation device (PFD) authorized by the US Coast Guard as per Section 1926.106(a). This involves working along unprotected edges, loading or exiting small boats, or operating from scaffolds. Before each usage, PFDs must be examined for flaws, and those that are found cannot be utilized.
Maritime employers must have fall prevention policies and procedures as well as a plan to ensure that safety protocols are strictly followed and all equipment is regularly inspected and maintained to prevent such tragedies in the first place.
Unstable Platforms
The innate instability of marine platforms like the deck of a vessel in motion further complicates the fall hazard. Vessels can be prone to pitching and rolling or pendulum-like swaying motion as they move through the water. These factors increase the challenges for workers like retaining balance especially when workers are involved with tasks that require precision, such as hot work, operating in confined spaces, or managing narrow walkways.
Unprotected and Blunt Edges
Unprotected and blunt edges can be hazardous locations from which a worker could fall without the benefit of any barrier or warning, such as the edge of a deck or an open stairwell without guardrails. These hazards are common within the maritime industry, where vessel motion and exposure to slippery surfaces can cause serious casualties near unprotected edges. Employers must install guardrails, handrails, or safety nets around all the unprotected edges to prevent anyone from falling and having serious injury or death.
Collisions
Collisions are considered to be another major risk for workers on water, either involving vessel-to-vessel exposure or contact with fixed objects like docks or offshore platforms. The sudden and forceful impact from a collision can cause workers to lose their balance and fall inside the vessel or overboard.
Likewise, collisions can also be the cause of other secondary hazards like fire, flooding, or structural damage, adding to the complexity of rescue and recovery operations. The force of impact can even throw the workers against hard surfaces and cause serious injury in some situations.
Material Handling Accidents
Material handling in the maritime industry includes heavy and often unmanageable items like cargo, machinery, and equipment. Materials that are improperly secured may shift unexpectedly and cause workers to lose their balance and fall.
Physical strain from handling heavy loads also leads to falls, especially when workers are fatigued or attempt to move an item without support. This may sometimes mean materials fall from heights and are dangerous, not just to the operating workers but also to those below.
Safety Measures for OSHA Maritime Fall Protection
Preventing falls within the maritime industry is subjected to both proactive and reactive safety measures. According to OSHA fall prevention measures, employers and employees alike must commit to identifying and mitigating potential hazards with the intent of making vessels and offshore platforms safer to work on.
Some key safety measures to realistically minimize the risk of falls as per the OSHA fall prevention system include:
Plan Ahead
For fall prevention, the employer must always develop a project plan concerning working from heights, on unstable or slippery surfaces, traversing gangways, etc. in order to ensure that the work is carried out safely. For this, start with listing the procedure of getting the job done, activities that need to be performed, and the personal fall protection equipment necessary for the task.
Budget For Safety
To get the job done safely, the budget should include the provision of safety equipment, and any required tools should be made available on-site. This proactive approach minimizes the risks and promotes safety at every step of the project.
For example, an elevated work project might include budget considerations for scaffolding with an appropriate selection of fall protection, such as Personal Fall Arrest Systems (PFAS).
Provide Proper Equipment
Prevention of serious injuries or fatalities as a result of falls, depends heavily on the use of the right equipment selection and maintenance. To this end, employers should supply their workers with proper fall and safety protection, including the appropriate ladders, scaffolds, and personal fall arrest systems, especially those working at six feet or more.
Comprehensive Training Programs
Proper education, periodic training, and deployment of safety equipment are the key measures for maintaining workers’ safety awareness. Make sure workers attend training sessions as per schedule, focusing on hazard recognition, and proper safety practices for maritime fall protection.
Conclusion
The different fall hazards within the maritime industry can result in serious injuries and fatalities. Understand that these hazards, ranging from slippery surfaces and unstable platforms to unprotected edges and working in confined spaces, are just a few examples of the elements that define OSHA maritime fall protection safety protocol.
Employers are expected to create a written fall protection policy and procedure as well as a fall emergency plan. This includes properly ahead, providing proper equipment, and enforcing strict safety practices. By implementing and emphasizing OSHA fall prevention training guide, employers can save their workers from fall accidents and will make vessels and marine platforms a safer workplace.
Contact Illustra Pro to learn more about how to protect your employees from falls and prevent any casualties.