Iron worker drowns after falling off barge into river.
NIOSH 1994 Feb; :1-4
On June 22, 1994, a 45 year-old iron worker fell from a barge into a large river that divides two states. The victim was last seen working on the barge which had been docked at a shipyard for repairs. He and a co-worker were making a template for a welding job and were leaving the barge to start work on a steel rib. The victim apparently fell into the river as he jumped from the barge to the dock and drowned in the river. The co-worker, who did not see the incident, soon noticed that the victim was missing and reported this to the authorities. After a thorough search, the victim's body was recovered three days after the incident. NJDOH FACE investigators concluded that, in order to prevent similar incidents in the future, these safety guidelines should be followed: 1. Gang planks should always be used to climb on and off barges and other vessels from the pier. 2. Employers and employees must ensure that personal protective gear such as life vests are worn at all times when working near water. 3. Employers should ensure that safety officers receive the proper training and support to do their jobs effectively. 4. Employers and employees should conduct a job hazard analysis to identify and control potential safety hazards. 5. Employers should consider hiring a professional safety engineer to evaluate the dock and barge areas.
Accident-analysis; Accident-potential; Accident-prevention; Accidents; Injuries; Injury-prevention; Safety-education; Safety-equipment; Safety-practices; Safety-measures; Traumatic-injuries; Work-practices; Training; Region-2; Safety-personnel; Safety-programs; Personal-protection; Personal-protective-equipment; Hazards; Dockworkers; Welders; Welding-industry; Marine-workers
Field Studies; Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation
NTIS Accession No.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
New Jersey Department of Health