“Maritime” jobs including harbor workers, longshoremen and other positions can be extremely dangerous in the wet conditions that surround a harbor.  Slip and falls, entanglements, electrocution and being crushed between a vessel and the dock are only a few of the hazards these brave workers face.  What and where should compensation for these workers be considered?  According to a blog on www.mysafetysign.com the area in which workers can gain compensation if they are hurt or slip and fall has been under debate for decades.

Originally established in 1927 the Longshore and Harbor Workers Compensation Act only applied to injuries that happened while loading and unloading cargo on the water.  The Act was revised in 1972 to include  “any adjoining pier, wharf, dry dock, terminal, building way, marine railway, or other adjoining area customarily used by an employer in loading, unloading, repairing, dismantling, or building a vessel.”  In 1980 upheld the use of the word “adjoining” as any area in the vicinity of the water or neighboring area.”

Just last month this broad definition was narrowed.  The word “adjoining” now means that the area in which the injury happens must “border” or be “contiguous with.”  There is no doubt that this definition will be challenged again with injuries that happen in the future.

One way to prevent slip and falls in harbors, on ships and in bordering facilities is to use a high quality, high traction safety product.  SLIPNOT manufactures an all metal surface that holds up well in the tough maritime terrain.  Plates, grating, stair treads and drains can all be custom ordered and installed creating a safer work area for anyone working on or near a harbor.  Gambol Industries used non slip treads on a boat for Maritime pilots as they commute between their ships and the harbor in LA and Long Beach, CA.

Howell, Amy. “Does “Maritime” Compensation Extend Inland?” www.mysafetysign.com May 22, 2013. May 23, 2013. <http://www.mysafetysign.com/blog/maritime-compensation/>