Working on a dock can be dangerous. Many times these little protrusions onto a lake or ocean are narrow, and the constant water may cause a slow erosion of the wood. Docks should be safe, and the owners of the dock should take every precaution to preserve the safety of the people that are working there. There are several different accidents that can happen on a dock.

For one, a person who works with shipping is often carrying heavy items to and from the vessels. These workers might have hundreds of pounds worth of goods in their arms as they try to maneuver around other workers and make their way towards the land. In this trip, there are abundant opportunities to be caught off balance. A person might knock you as you walk by, or a rise in the wood might cause you to trip. If a dock is not well made there may be spaces between the wood planks where your foot could get caught. A gust of wind could shift the packages you are carrying and mess with your equilibrium. If you do stumble and fall, the results could be tragic.

Heavy crates could fall on your person, smashing fingers or hitting you in the head. You may fall into the water, which is often frigid. In fact, you could catch hypothermia if not treated the right way after falling into water in the winter. You might also stumble and fall into the ocean when the waters are tempestuous. In this case, the waves may cause you to float far off into a rip tide, or move you forcefully against a dock post where you could hit your head. You may also hit your head or another vital body part as you fall in. In a harbor there are not normally rocks, but it is certainly probable that you could hit your head on the wooden edge of the dock.

If you go unconscious and are not wearing a life jacket, you might go under the water. People have died from this occurrence. When a dock is busy with hardworking people, they often don't notice if someone goes missing. People can fall into the water, pass out from a violent injury, and never be saved. Also, when dealing with docks, falling objects can be a threat to workers. If people are working above you on tall ships, then they may drop items to the dock which could strike you in the head. When people stack their boxes or cargo foolishly, their load may topple over, injuring people walking in front of them, or causing other people to trip.

Also, forklifts are a common sight on loading docks. When someone is not trained to drive a forklift, that person may end up making a dangerous maneuver. With not much room to move, a runaway forklift, or a forklift operated by an amateur driver, could become a dangerous contraption. These are only a few of the potential areas for danger and it is very important that shipyard workers are taught the proper dock safety tips. As well, emergency procedures should be taught and implemented so that men and women can have assurance that everything will be done to preserve their comfort.

Dock managers must take pains to remove all trash from the dock, and any items that could be a stumbling block to workers carrying weighty cargo. They should manage the amount of people allowed on the dock at the same time. That way the dock will not become overcrowded. Also, an overseer should make regular head counts to make sure that everyone is accounted for on the dock that is supposed to be there. If you were injured in a dock accident, then you may be able to receive compensation for your pain. Contact a personal injury lawyer today!