Tugboat Accidents

Common Tugboat Accidents

Tugboats are some of the busiest working in the maritime industry, and the boat’s confined area causes smaller incidents to have bigger repercussions. The small size of a tugboat crew means fewer people to respond in case of an emergency – tugboat workers should make sure to report and document injuries at the time they occur. If you need to file a Jones Act claim, the burden of proof is on the plaintiff.

Collision

Not all tugboat collisions are the result of a tugboat coming into contact with another ship. Tugboats may collide with the bridge pilings, pier columns, docks or even other tugboats.

The consequences of a tugboat collision are very serious for everyone in the crew. Depending on the impact, a collision may provoke a chain reaction that breaks tugboat equipment that then causes injury to crew members. A collision may cause crew members to injure themselves or even throw them overboard. In this situation, because crew are not required by law to wear life jackets while on a ship, they run a great risk of drowning as the result of a collision.

Slip-and-Falls

Tugboats, like other vessels, are required by law to have a nonskid surface installed on their deck to maintain the safety of their crew. However, even the best nonskid surface cannot fully protect against precarious footing during bad weather.

It is up to the captain of the tugboat to maintain safety on deck as best he can. This means promptly cleaning up any spills on deck, keeping equipment properly stowed, and replacing the nonskid surface when it becomes worn down. Without these precautions, the deck of a tugboat is ready for disaster. Even a minor slip-and-fall accident can leave tugboat workers with injuries as serious as broken bones, spinal cord injuries or brain trauma.

Mechanical Malfunctions

Hawser lines are some of the most basic equipment aboard a tugboat. These lines are what a crew will use to tow or secure a larger vessel. These lines are made of thick cable that is designed to withstand tremendous pressure.

Over time, however, hawser lines will break down. This is known as becoming “parted,” and tugboat workers know all too well the potential of parted hawser lines to snap under high stress. There is even a word for the area within reach of a broken hawser line—tugboat workers call it the “snap-back” zone. Tugboat snap-back injuries are some of the most serious ways to get hurt on a tugboat.

This is just one example of how defective equipment may cause an accident on a tugboat. But tugboat accidents also occur if the boat’s own mechanisms are not sound. A tugboat built primarily for towing will have two or three diesel engines, all of which are needed to produce the thrust required to move a heavily loaded barge or an enormous oil rig. If one of these engines fails, or if a fire breaks out within the engine, the consequences can be serious and even deadly for the tugboat crew.

Onboard Hazards

Some of the hazards that lead to tugboat injury are environmental factors that cannot be avoided, such as wet, slick surfaces or heavy, dangerous equipment.

However, there are many accidents on tugboats that ultimately point to negligence on the part of the captain or other crew members. If the tugboat is not outfitted properly with working safety equipment (such as nonskid deck surfaces or firefighting equipment) or if crew members receive inadequate training in using the tugboat’s machinery or in proper emergency responses, there is a much higher likelihood of tugboat injury.

Capsizing

Needless to say, capsizing may be the most serious variety of tugboat accident. When a tugboat capsizes, it jeopardizes the lives of the entire crew, especially if the seas are rough.

A tugboat may capsize because of many different factors. Rough weather may overcome the tugboat, a choppy sea may flood the boat, or a mechanical failure in the boat may cause it to spring a leak. In addition, tugboats are vulnerable to “girting,” or being pulled downward into the water by the force of the boat they are trying to tow.

The most preventable cause of capsizing is a tugboat collision. If a tugboat is not properly manned, it may collide with a larger ship. When this happens, serious damage to the hull of the tugboat may cause it to leak or even overturn.