The Sam Carbis Solutions Group Safety Blog

Taking a proactive approach to marine safety not only protects your workers from potentially serious accidents, but it also reduces risks for your company, protecting you from costly damages and penalties. Here’s just one example of how a lack of appropriate safety equipment contributed to a tragic accident: A group of four employees was unloading scrap steel from a barge, and needed to release the mooring lines and reposition the vessel to complete the task. One worker climbed up a concrete barricade on the floating dock and attempted to mount the barge. She was halfway across when the barge drifted away from the dock, creating a gap. Her coworkers tried to catch her, but she fell headfirst into the water. The worker was wearing a personal flotation device when she fell into the water. But before she could be rescued, the barge drifted back against the dock, crushing and killing her. According to the OSHA report, the employer was responsible for several factors that contributed to ...

4 Questions and 3 Answers to Help with Your Marine Safety  Ensuring worker safety can be challenging in any environment. Marine operations present a unique set of challenges , with constant motion, changing tides, and varying vessel sizes and configurations. Whether accessing ships from a dock or loading chemical or petroleum barges, workers must deal with a lot of moving parts, heavy equipment, and changing weather conditions. Potential hazards can lead to a dangerous situation, such as a worker or crew member falling—with the risk of drowning, being carried away by the current, or becoming trapped between the dock and the ship. In addition to causing tragic and unnecessary suffering, accidents are costly and can result in reduced productivity, workers’ compensation costs, and OSHA fines. Protecting workers requires a proactive approach to marine safety. A comprehensive marine safety solution , tailored to your specific operations and work environment, is essential to keeping w...

 Marine safety risks affect everyone who needs to access your vessel while it’s in port, from pilots and supervisors to longshoremen. Ships are in constant motion on the water, so you must provide stable, safe access to avoid falls. Every ship gangway in use at your site must be sturdy and well secured. You may already be working to meet local port and marine terminal agreements regarding fall prevention. However, are you ensuring your safety systems account for all of the risks your workers are exposed to? Consider how you can drastically improve ship gangway safety  and protect your workforce. Mitigate Common Gangway Risks In the interest of “getting the job done,” employers sometimes let convenience take precedence over safety. For example, workers may use makeshift wooden planks to access vessels docked next to one another. Such tactics increase the risk of falling into the water, where a worker may drown. In addition to providing safe dock gangways, use security netting...

Marine safety equipment is necessary for helping your workers access ships safely and preventing falls. Safer work conditions often increase efficiency and improve your bottom line. While you may have an idea of what type of equipment you’re looking for, it’s important to not miss any important details. Always shop for safety equipment with the following four qualities: 1. Adaptable To Various Conditions No two days at your marine facility are exactly alike. Whether you run into problems with limited dock space, variable water heights or obstructions blocking ship access points, you need safety equipment that’s flexible. Marine safety equipment must adapt to changing conditions  within your work environment. For example, the barges you’re working on and their access points may change throughout the day. Your safety solutions provider should give you the following mounting options to choose from in a barge gangway: Float mode – As water levels rise and fall, your barge simply dr...

In comparison to other shipping vehicles, marine vessels are perhaps the most difficult to secure. Workers are at greater risk of falls and accidents because ships are in constant motion. Add changing tides to the equation, and providing safe access becomes even harder. Despite the challenges, improving marine safety offers significant benefits. Your workforce will be more surefooted on steady marine gangways with handrails , improving loading and unloading efficiency. Other forms of marine safety equipment, such as ship towers, make it easier to access vessels of any height. As you consider your current ship and dock safety measures, ask yourself whether your systems address the following two marine safety challenges: 1. Difficulty Boarding Barges and ships generally come to your facility for one of two reasons: to load or unload. Docks are outfitted well for loading devices to attach to the ship. However, you have to figure out how to get on and off the vessel. This is the risky pa...

Increase productivity and fall prevention simultaneously using a variety of fall prevention equipment that can be customized for your specific marine loading and offloading needs. Safety is key when working on ships and barges because of the unique risks inherent in these jobs. Protect your workers by ensuring your marine fall prevention equipment is up to date. Marine Ladders are designed to withstand particularly demanding marine access applications. The marine grade aluminum construction is sturdy enough to help prevent falls even in hazardous conditions. Marine Ladders are lightweight yet they’re exceedingly durable because they resist corrosion from weather, salt water and chemicals. Safety features include: • slip-resistant coating • aluminum angle cleats for traction • open truss construction to reduce weight and wind resistance • some have rollers on the dock side to easily conform to changes in the ship’s float • safety shoes with rubber tread improve ladder’s footing on ma...