How often these injuries happen
OSHA recorded 189 severe cases involving water vehicles over the last decade, with fractures accounting for 55% of all incidents. These injuries frequently require you to undergo extensive medical intervention and long-term rehabilitation.
The severity of these incidents is underscored by the frequency of traumatic injuries to the brain. You often face life-altering consequences when safety protocols fail during vessel operations or cargo handling.
Common injuries
Injuries on the water often stem from failures in equipment maintenance and hazardous work environments on vessels like cargo ships and barges. You may be struck by failing lifting devices, get caught in heavy machinery like turnbuckles, or suffer heat exhaustion while working in confined hulls or dock pits.
| Injury Type | Incidents | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fractures | 103 |
| 2 | Traumatic injuries or exposures— unspecified | 13 |
| 3 | Amputations, avulsions, enucleations | 12 |
| 4 | Severe wounds or internal injuries and other injuries | 12 |
| 5 | Intracranial Injuries | 11 |
| 6 | Cuts, lacerations, punctures without injury to internal structures | 7 |
| 7 | Injuries to internal organs and major blood vessels | 6 |
| 8 | Effects of heat and light | 5 |
Where injuries happen most
Transportation and warehousing accounts for 42% of these incidents, reflecting the high-risk nature of cargo handling and vessel operations. Manufacturing follows as a major sector, where you face similar dangers during lamination and maintenance tasks within ship hulls.
Real cases like yours
Common patterns in these reports include equipment failure during heavy lifting, crushing injuries during lashing operations, and severe heat-related illnesses in confined spaces. If any of these scenarios sound like what happened to you, an attorney can review the specifics of your incident to help you determine your next steps.
| Year | State | Industry | Incident summary | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | TX | Professional Services | "An employee had been taking fuel samples from the top of a barge. The employee was hospitalized with heat exhaustion." | |
| 2025 | FL | Manufacturing | "An employee was working in the hull of a boat, applying resin as part of lamination activities. He sat down and lost consciousness due to heat exhaustion. The employee was hospitalized." | |
| 2025 | TX | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was working inside the cargo hold of a cargo ship, discharging steel slabs. The slabs (approximately 4 feet by 20 feet) were being hoisted by a powered industrial truck (PIT) equipped with an electromagnetic lifting device. The lifting device failed and released a steel slab that struck the employee's right foot. The employee sustained injuries to their big toe, including partial amputation." | |
| 2025 | CA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was tightening a turnbuckle while attempting to conduct lash-back operations on a ship when their left gloved hand was caught between the upper and lower turnbuckles. The employee suffered a crush injury to the little finger that resulted in a fingertip amputation." | |
| 2025 | FL | Professional Services | "The employee shut off a steam valve and was descending a ladder to enter a berth pit and open the cargo line valve. He slipped during the descent causing his right foot to be submerged in the hot water inside the dock pit. Hot water entered his right boot resulting in burns to his right foot/ankle." | |
| 2025 | OK | Manufacturing | "An employee was descending the side of a barge, having ascended to the top of it to close an opening on top of the barge lid. There was a towing rope on top of the three-step ladder on the barge; the employee put his weight on this rope, believing it to be part of the ladder, and fell backward. His ankle and shin were caught between the top of the third step and the barge lid. He suffered a fracture near the right ankle and another near his right shin and was hospitalized, undergoing surgery." | |
| 2025 | VA | Agriculture | "An employee experienced heat-related illness while working on a commercial fishing boat." | |
| 2025 | WA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was unlocking containers on deck. The employee was de-lashing while standing on the edge of the lid. The lashing bar he was holding came off the cone, causing him to turn 90 degrees and strike a railing behind him. The employee sustained four fractured ribs." | |
| 2025 | WA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee parked a side-by-side on the fixed internal ramp aboard a cargo ship. They exited the side-by-side and went to inspect the cargo below. The side-by-side rolled toward the employee and struck them as they were walking toward the edge of the ramp. The employee was knocked off the ramp and landed on the lower deck approximately 8 feet below. The employee was hospitalized with a fractured shoulder." | |
| 2025 | LA | Transportation & Warehousing | "An employee was closing down a barge when he sustained cramps and was hospitalized for dehydration." |
Source: OSHA Severe Injury Reports. Narratives are verbatim from filings; identifying details may have been redacted by OSHA.
Frequently asked questions
Fractures are the most frequent injury, occurring in 55% of all reported severe cases. You may also suffer from traumatic brain injuries, amputations, and severe burns from hot water or steam. An attorney can help you document the full extent of your injuries for your claim.
Yes, if you are injured while performing your duties on a vessel, you are generally entitled to Workers' Compensation benefits. Depending on your specific role and the location of the vessel, you may also have rights under federal maritime laws. An attorney can evaluate which legal path is best for your situation.
Employers are required to maintain safe working conditions, including proper equipment maintenance and adequate safety training. If a failure in safety protocols or faulty equipment led to your injury, your employer may be held liable. An attorney can help you investigate whether your employer met these safety obligations.
If a lifting device or machine failed and caused your injury, it is critical to preserve any evidence of the malfunction and report the incident immediately. OSHA requires employers to report severe injuries, and this documentation is vital for your claim. An attorney can help you gather the necessary evidence to support your case.