Royal Dutch Shell is trying to defend its offshore safety record, after attacks by environmental safety groups over a leak from a Shell platform in the North Sea. Shell has confirmed that it has managed to plug the leak from its Gannet Alpha platform which...
Learn More >>Deckhands
Deckhands perform assorted jobs around the vessel, and may be at a high risk of injuries from the varied and physically strenuous duties they perform.
These are some of the easiest jobs to find on a vessel, because there is little or no previous experience necessary, and no educational qualifications required. These workers function as handymen on a vessel.
Almost every vessel will have deckhands as part of the crew. The duties and responsibilities of a deckhand may depend on whether he's working on a freighter, fishing vessel, a cruise line or other kind of vessel. Common to a deckhand's duties in any kind of vessel is constant work outside on the deck in all kinds of weather, and hard physical work.
A deckhand on a freighter may assist in loading and unloading of cargo. He may be required to perform maintenance and repairs of the vessel. A cruise liner deckhand must be available on the deck at all times to offer assistance to passengers and help them find their way about. On a fishing vessel, a deckhand's duties can range from gutting fish to cleaning the vessel at the end of the day.
Because of the varied nature of a deckhands duties, there are a number of opportunities for injuries. He may be injured when he is using fishing lines or ropes, or when he is working with mooring lines. Work with mooring lines can be exceedingly dangerous, especially for a deckhand who may be new to the vessel and may be insufficiently trained. He may be called upon to lift heavy equipment, raising the potential for back and neck injuries. All these activities are physically demanding, with the potential for injuries ranging from brain injuries, spinal cord injuries to fractures, sprains, strains, cuts and lacerations.
The maritime lawyers at Schechter McElwee Shaffer and Harris have decades of expertise representing injured deckhands, ordinary seamen, able bodied seamen, roustabouts, drillers, and other maritime workers, and helping them file Jones Act claims of negligence and unseaworthiness claims against their employers. If you have been injured in an accident on a vessel, contact a maritime attorney at our firm for a free evaluation of your case. All initial consultations are free. We do not charge you a fee until we recover compensation for you.
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