A seaman is someone who does certain work on a vessel that's in navigable water. We'll further define each part of that statement, but it can first help to understand why someone would need to be considered a seaman, and why the definition has been hotly contested in court. If you work offshore and get hurt on the job, you cannot file a workers' compensation claim like employees on land can do in ...
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Commercial fishermen , offshore workers , and all seamen are at risk of experiencing one of the most devastating injuries: amputation. A hand, finger, foot, or another part of the body may be completely severed in a maritime accident or may be damaged to such an extent that it must be surgically amputated, causing significant physical and emotional trauma—not to mention impacting the worker’s ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
There's no denying the importance of maritime workers in the global economy. Ships and other vessels transport over 90% of the world's goods, providing jobs for maritime workers in the U.S. and abroad. Of these industries, offshore oil exploration and extraction is among the most important. Teams work around the clock in shifts to make sure the demands for American oil are met. Shift work is ...
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When Hurricane Ida struck the Louisiana coast at the end of August 2021, it wasn’t just the people on land who were in trouble. The crews of offshore rigs and other maritime vessels in the storm’s path were also in danger, but not all were evacuated in time. Perhaps the biggest “near miss” of the 2021 hurricane season involved the Globetrotter II , a Noble -owned and Shell Oil -leased drillship ...
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Working offshore can be dangerous. Crew members can experience life-changing or fatal injuries in accidents on deck, after falling overboard , or in devastating blowouts , fires , or explosions . When these incidents occur, some workers quickly find that the companies they have put their lives on the line for are not interested in helping them recover. Instead, these workers experience pressure to ...
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Offshore drilling operations cannot continue forever. Wells can only produce for so long before their costs outweigh their productivity. At times, wells must be temporarily shut-in for reasons related to severe weather or problems related to supply and demand (such as occurred during the COVID-19 crisis). Eventually, every well will need to be permanently shut down. Shutting down oil wells is no ...
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Offshore wind is a clean, renewable, and abundant energy resource; countries across the planet are working to harness it. In the United States, President Biden signed an executive order to “reeestablish the Federal Government as a leader in sustainability…” which included a commitment to generate at least 30 gigawatts of power from offshore wind installations by 2030. This is certainly a step in ...
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The 2022 Atlantic hurricane season officially begins next week, but a low-pressure system that formed in the Gulf of Mexico on May 22 had officials monitoring the area for a potential tropical storm. While this particular area of low pressure is not expected to develop into anything more serious than some heavy rain across the southeastern United States, it serves as a reminder that hurricanes and ...
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A fall overboard is one of the most serious types of offshore accidents. It places the crew member at immediate risk of drowning or hypothermia , depending on sea conditions. Because of the significant risks posed by man overboard incidents, maritime employers are required to have measures in place to handle these emergencies. They must also take steps to prevent falls in the first place, sound ...
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Working offshore has its risks, and one of the most common is presented by the equipment that must be used to lift and transfer cargo and personnel . Derricks , cranes , and other deck lifting equipment can pose serious hazards if it is improperly operated, poorly maintained, or defective in any way. In this blog, we will talk about these maritime accidents and what can be done to prevent them. ...
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Deck winches serve various purposes on a maritime vessel. They can be used for anchoring, towing, mooring, pulling, and lifting or lowering heavy objects like nets. Installed on the deck of a ship, an electric or hydraulic winch can do a considerable amount of work in a short amount of time. Winches must be properly operated and maintained, however, or serious accidents can occur. Seamen and rig ...
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After the Deepwater Horizon exploded and sank in April 2010, killing 11 workers and spilling 4 million barrels of oil into the ocean, the entire world saw the terrible consequences of the offshore oil and gas industry’s questionable safety culture. That December, the United States filed a complaint in District Court against BP and other defendants for their role in the explosion and resulting ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
When people think of the Jones Act and the benefits it offers to maritime workers, they often think of crews on commercial fishing vessels , oil platforms , barges , and jack-up rigs . These may be the most well-known in the offshore industry, but there are other maritime workers who are at just as high of a risk of harm and who need the protection that the Jones Act and other applicable laws have ...
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According to Rule 5 of the Amalgamated International & U.S. Inland Navigation Rules , “Every vessel shall at all times maintain a proper look-out by sight and hearing as well as by all available means appropriate in the prevailing circumstances and conditions so as to make a full appraisal of the situation and of the risk of collision.” Keeping a proper lookout is one of the most basic rules of ...
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When the United States shut down in March of 2020, no one really knew how long closures would last or what impact they would have. Workers in every industry were affected, but offshore crews faced unique challenges due to the nature of their jobs and their work environments—where social distancing was nearly impossible. Oil and gas companies were forced to delay turnarounds and postpone new ...
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A pipeline break has sent oil spilling into the Pacific Ocean off the Southern California coast, posing a threat to wildlife and residents. Cleanup and response efforts are underway to try to minimize the damage. On Saturday, October 2, 2021, an oil pipeline that runs from the offshore platform Elly to the Port of Long Beach started to leak. The breach occurred about 5 miles from the Huntington ...
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Mooring operations are some of the most important jobs offshore crew members perform. They are also one of the most difficult and dangerous. If proper safety protocols are not followed, workers are at risk of suffering severe injuries that can even be fatal . What Is a Mooring Operation? A mooring operation describes the task of attaching a vessel to a stationary object. Mooring operations can ...
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The Gulf of Mexico is filled with lift boats, jack-up rigs , drilling rigs, and platforms . These vessels are all necessary for the retrieval of gas and oil from the region's rich mineral deposits. To transfer workers to and from their jobsites, many companies use personnel baskets or Billy Pugh baskets to get the job done. As any worker who has been involved in such transfers can tell you, these ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Falling overboard is the second most common cause of death for fishermen. Between 2000 and 2014, 210 fishermen died after falling overboard. None of them were wearing lifejackets or any type of personal flotation device (PFD). Despite this fact, there are no requirements or regulations for fishermen to wear PFDs while working—making deadly accidents more likely in an industry that already has a ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Roustabouts are maintenance workers who focus on making sure oil and gas rigs are running safely and as expected. They are essentially the “boots on the ground,” responsible for making sure oil wells are operating efficiently and constantly. As a result, a roustabout’s duties are often flexible and varied, ranging from sweeping the floors of the rig to handling dangerous chemicals. Some common ...
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Posted By Arnold and Itkin, LLP
When vessels are navigating inland waterways, there’s a set of right-of-way rules that they’re supposed to follow. These rules, commonly known as the Rules of the Road, dictate how vessels should behave when crossing paths. The term “rules of the road” is used because the process is similar to the way that cars behave at unmarked intersections. The Rules of the Road are published by the United ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
The American offshore industry is no stranger to aging vessels. Experts say that vessels are going to start retiring faster than the rate they can be replaced. Because of this, it’s fair to assume that many older vessels will be at sea for longer than they should be. Not only are aging ships an economic setback, but they also pose a risk to maritime workers. Offshore workers who are employed on ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
Offshore oil and gas production is complex, involving many different players and facets. Essentially, the industry involves two main tasks: extracting the materials and transferring them to a refinery to be prepared for sale. These tasks involve two main types of different yet equally important equipment: vessels and platforms (also called rigs). Platforms are stationary structures while vessels ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
One of the easiest ways to keep ships and their crewmembers safe from hurricanes and strong tropical storms is by making sure they don’t have to be in them at all. This is where the Mariner’s 1-2-3 rule comes in. The Mariner’s 1-2-3 rule helps vessel navigators avoid encountering a dangerous storm because of a weather forecast error. It’s also known as the Danger Zone Rule, and the “1-2-3" part of ...
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Posted By Arnold & Itkin LLP
For centuries, injured seamen had one option after an injury at work: maintenance and cure . This maritime law requires no fault to be proven after an offshore accident for a worker to receive compensation. It only requires that a worker sustained their injuries on the vessel they're employed on or while performing the duties of their job. However, any payment an injured person receives for their ...
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