Occupational Accidents At Sea

Abstract

This study examines the records of the Singapore Marine Department of fatalities which occurred on board Singapore ships. In the ten year period covered (1986-1995), a total of 373 deaths were identified which fulfilled the inclusion criteria. The victims came from 26 different countries, with Singapore resident seafarers forming only the fourth largest group. The biggest number of deaths was attributed to maritime disasters, followed by deaths due to illness, of which the biggest share was formed by heart related illnesses. The third biggest cause of death were occupational accidents and personnel working on deck constituted the biggest group of victims. Most occupational accidents were caused by lack of procedures or negligent working practices. Introduction The occupation of merchant seafarers is a dangerous one exposing them to hazards in a rarely encountered combination. Among these specific risks are exposure to extreme weather conditions, dangerous enclosed spaces, noisy mechanical equipment or toxic cargoes. When travelling all over the world, seafarers may be exposed to unusual or rare diseases caused by infectious agents unknown in their countries of residence. All of these hazards might be even more increased through the lack of direct access to medical assistance while at sea or in remote ports. A recent study* into the supply and demand of seafarers world-wide estimated that approximately 1,030,000 seafarers are employed on merchant cargo ships world-wide. The study also highlighted that the majority of modern day seafarers originate from non-industrialised countries, mainly East and Southeast Asia. Transactions on the Built Environment vol 42, © 1999 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509 454 Marine Technology Available recent studies investigating the risks for, and mortality and morbidity of, seafarers concentrate on industrialised countries^ thus examining predominantly nationally manned fleets with often particular characteristics of trade or employment or types of ships involved. Little is known about the causes and circumstances of deaths at sea on merchant ships from other countries, manned by multinational crews. This paper presents the results of a study investigating patterns of fatalities in an internationally manned fleet. Materials and Methods The Republic of Singapore has a long tradition in operating a shipping register, which over time evolved from being perceived as an open register to a quality register with a well established maritime administration. As a Commonwealth member, Singapore has reporting system for deaths on board ships, which is similar to that of other Commonwealth nations and is largely modelled on the British system prior to the introduction of the Merchant Shipping Act (1979). Singapore shipmasters are obliged to report any birth or death occurring on board a Singapore ship to the Marine Department, failure to do so would result in a maximum fine of Sin$ 2,000 (Singapore Merchant Shipping Act, Sect. 91, Ch. 179). The reports and statements submitted by the shipmaster are reviewed by a Marine Superintendent, who decides upon the necessity to hold a marine enquiry or carry out an investigation. The study covers deaths of seafarers signed on Singapore flag seagoing ships. A seafarer was defined as a person gainfully employed on board a merchant ship, having been signed on the ships' articles. This definition excludes passengers or accompanying family members but includes company superintendents. Not included were deaths on non-merchant ships, such as dredgers, harbour craft and fishing craft. The categorisation of cases was based on the evidence as found in the case files and comprised mainly extracts from ships' logbooks; ship masters' statements; statements from various crew members; communication with the shipowners or managing agents, often in the form of telex or telefax communication; death certificates or autopsy reports, if necessary accompanied by a translation; police statements and other case records; lawyers' statements; and occasionally correspondence with relatives. No documents or files of marine inquiries or investigations were made available, since these are considered confidential under the Singapore Merchant Shipping Act. To ensure completeness, the records were compared with a print-out of shipping accidents as recorded by the Institute of London Underwriters, which covered the years 1990-94; the annual casualty statistics as published by Lloyd's Register of Shipping^, the on-line database of Lloyd's List, for the years 1991-95 and a book covering maritime disasters which is largely based on information compiled by Lloyd's Maritime Information Services Ltd. For the purpose of this study, deaths were categorised in 8 broad groups: maritime disasters; occupational accidents; deaths due to illnesses; individual persons missing at sea for no apparent other reason; homicides; suicides; offduty and finally unclear causes. Transactions on the Built Environment vol 42, © 1999 WIT Press, www.witpress.com, ISSN 1743-3509 Marine Technology 455