Under maritime law, a boat, ship, or sea platform must have all appropriate safety gear and equipment on board to be considered seaworthy. Since the environment at sea can be highly varied and highly risky, a wide variety of safety gear is generally carried aboard ship.
Safety gear should not only protect the seaman’s life, health, and body parts in the performance of his/her duty; it should help protect crewmen in the event of a sinking or other maritime emergency. In general, this gear includes:
- Type I offshore lifejackets
- Gloves, helmets, coveralls
- Eye protection
- VHF radio transcievers
- Fire extinguishers
- Railings
- Non-skid deck surfacing
- Flares
- Strobes
- Cell phone / satellite phones
- Life raft
- Oxygen breathing systems (where needed)
Failure to provide safety gear may place the owner/operator of the vessel in violation of the Jones Act or other maritime law. If so, and if you or someone you know has been injured due to a ship or facility owner’s negligence in providing safety gear, you should contact Johnson Law Group.
The statues concerning maritime law and failure to provide safety gear are very clear. A specialized maritime attorney can take your case to court and get the compensation that you may be owed.
