Tips for Hurricane Safety While Working on a Boat

Historically, September marks the start of peak hurricane season for the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean. This means many offshore workers stationed on platforms, oil rigs, and on long-trip commercial vessels can be at higher risk for an offshore accident due to bad weather.

General Maritime Working Safety Tips for Bad Weather

Following these tips will help you avoid a maritime accident during a hurricane: 

• Secure equipment. Tie down large equipment and store small items in secured cabinets. Anything that isn't secured can become a dangerous projectile and cause a maritime accident.
• Stock up. Make sure you have enough supplies to last at least 3 days if your vessel should become stranded. Remember that storm damage can knock out engines and generators. Don't forget medical supplies.
• Report often. Contact your land base or the coast guard to alert them to your current position and conditions if you're offshore during a hurricane. This way you can be found more quickly after the storm passes.
• Cease operations. If there's time enough to move your vessel, do it. Don't take chances and try to weather the storm just to get a little more work done. The price of your lives is much higher than the profit you'd make staying in the path of a storm. 

If an employer with employees at an offshore location is negligent in taking the proper safety measures to avoid injury to their workers, they can be held liable if you're seriously injured in an offshore accident.

Contact a New Orleans Offshore Accident Maritime Law Lawyer

Maritime law provides you with certain protections your employer may not want you to know about. A lawyer from The Young Firm in New Orleans, Louisiana can help you if you have suffered maritime offshore accident injuries due to improper safety protocols during a tropical cyclone that falls under maritime law or the Jones Act.

Though we are based in Louisiana, we are ready and able to help injured victims throughout the U.S. Order our free Maritime Injury Law guide and/or our guide to what to do when you are injured offshore to learn all about your rights as an injured worker.

When you are ready to get started with your Jones Act injury case, we urge you to contact us today for a FREE case evaluation - call 504-680-4100 or toll free at 866-938-6113.