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Carelessness
Some locations are potential danger spots, and
lack of alertness may cause accidents resulting in
injury or death. People working on piers, weather
decks, and in the ship’s hold must be constantly
on the alert for moving or falling objects. As
people become familiar with a job, they may try
to take shortcuts that place themselves and others
in danger, Fatigue is another cause of carelessness.
As a person tires, the person is less alert and more
liable to cause an accident.
Inexperience
Unless people are indoctrinated and ex-
perienced in handling a particular piece of
equipment, they should not be allowed to use it
except under close supervision. People who
operate cranes, capstans, winches, windlasses, and
other deck equipment must first get authority
from the first lieutenant. A person may know how
to drive a forklift, but may not be fully aware of
the safety precautions that should be taken
while operating it. Operating materials-handling
equipment is not the only way that inexperienced
personnel may cause accidents. People working
as material handlers for the first time may not be
aware of the dangers involved and such a minor
mistake as an improperly loaded cargo net may
result in an injury—to themselves or someone else.
Attitude
Some personnel when working around dan-
gerous objects or in dangerous work areas may
become overfamiliar with their job. When this
happens, there is a tendency to slack off in the
practice of safety. When personnel develop a poor
attitude toward their work, a change must be
made; either in their attitude or in their work
assignment. If previous experience indicates that
a person has a tendency toward unreliability, the
person should not be permitted to operate
materials-handling equipment or work in a
position where his or her unreliability could result
in injury to themselves or others.
DANGER AREAS
Many types of accidents can happen when
handling material. Some of the more important
danger areas and accident causes are discussed
below:
Defective equipment—Do not use worn or
defective equipment, including winches, rigging,
chains, nets, and bridles. Report equipment
condition to your supervisor. Repairs should be
made only by qualified personnel since a poor
repair job may constitute a worse hazard than the
defective equipment.
Thrown objects—Objects such as blocks,
crowbars, and slings should not be thrown from
the deck into the hold or onto the pier.
Improperly assembled drafts—Nets and
pallets should be loaded so that items will not fall
during hoisting.
Failure to stand clear—The warning STAND
CLEAR! should be given when material or
hoisting gear is being lowered into a hold or onto
the pier.
Material improperly landed—Material should
be guided to a safe landing after being stopped
about 1 foot above the intended landing area.
Loads stopped overhead—Avoid stopping
loads overhead. If a hoisted load must be stopped
before being lowered into the hold, it should be
stopped over the weather deck—never over the
square of the hatch or over the heads of personnel
on the pier.
Improper stowage—When stowed, material
should be tiered evenly, tied in, stepped back, or
floored off to prevent collapse. Dunnage should
be used as a firm flooring for tiering. Never stow
material improperly even for a temporary period.
Hatch beams or boards—When only part of
a cargo hatch is open, the remaining hatch beams
should be pinned or locked in place to prevent
them from being dislodged and falling on people
below. Hatch boards should be stacked back from
the hatch to prevent them from being accidentally
knocked into the hold.
Standing in bight of line—No one should ever
stand with his or her feet in the bight of a line
or in the eye of a cargo strip or sling. To do so
may result in broken bones or even more serious
injury.
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