Four Maritime Workers Killed in Chinese Shipyard Explosion

A boiler explosion in a bulk carrier in the Chinese city of Nanjing killed four maritime workers, and injured at least a dozen other workers last week.

According to Xinhua, the explosion occurred last Friday on a bulk carrier at the Zijinshan shipyard of Nanjing Tanker Corp. The workers were working on the cargo ship when the explosion occurred. The ship was being readied for handover to the ship owner at the time.

Four workers were killed, and 12 workers were reported injured. Out of the 12 shipyard workers who were injured, all required treatment at the hospital. Two have already been discharged, while the others are still undergoing treatment at the hospital.

Investigations into the shipyard accident are already underway.Shipyard workers and workers in the ship building and ship repair industries in the United States are covered under a special section of maritime law called the Longshore and Harbor Workers’ Compensation Act. These workers are as much at risk of injuries and fatalities in the workplace, as maritime workers who work on vessels.

Not all workers in a port or harbor may be covered under the Longshore and Harbor Worker’s Compensation Act. Workers who perform administrative functions, clerical duties, and other support staff are not covered under the LHWCA. These persons may be covered under the workers’ compensation laws of the state.

The maritime lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P., Accident & Injury Lawyers represent workers covered under the LHWCA, including shipyard, ship building, and ship repair workers.