Cruise Ship Employee Suffers Work-Related Injury Due to Unsafe Conditions

Case Overview

This case involves a man who was employed as a chef in the galley of a large cruise ship. In the course of his employment, the man needed to reach for canned foods that were located on a high shelf in the pantry. The man was fairly short, and was unable to reach up to the shelf in question. Nevertheless, he was not given a stool or ladder to help him reach the shelf. This forced the man to jump in order to reach the cans. On one occasion, the man jumped to reach for one of the cans and landed awkwardly, causing a serious fracture in his ankle.

Questions to the Physics expert and their responses

Please describe your experience in cruise ship employee safety.

My Cruise Ship Safety experience includes service as Safety Manager aboard Norwegian Cruise Lines (NCLA) vessels operating between the Hawaiian Islands, as well as over 20 years of related Maritime Safety expertise.

What are the safety standards that should be in place to prevent incidents like this from happening?

The Safety Standards that should have been in place would be all USCG regulations under 46 CFR and 33 CFR, Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

Are you familiar with the Jones Act?

I am very familiar with the Jones Act and have written published articles about it. Based upon your exploration of 'Jones Act' applicability, I would explore proper Safety Familiarization for the injured person as well as for all his associates, and proper Supervisory training for any supervisory staff involved. I would also explore proper compliance with International Safety Management with respect to training for repetitive and 'job specific' tasks. I would explore the compliance under ISM for reporting of incidents, near misses and any related non-conformities. I would need to review training records and time in service for not only the victim, but also supervisory staff and associates, as well as the required Policies and Procedures mandated under ISM for all the duties for wait staff and their supervisors. I would also want to review existing conditions, including but not limited to, weather, maintenance of operational and safety equipment, safeguards in place, and the Incident reports for staff response and medical attention (if any) provided post-incident.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert has over 40 years of experience in the maritime industry. Throughout the course of his career, he has worked extensively with both the US Coast Guard and private cruise lines. He obtained his BS in nautical science and marine transportation from the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, before beginning his career in the field. Today, he is a licensed master by the US Coast Guard. This expert is also an active member of several professional organizations, including the Boston Marine Society, the United States Naval Institute, the Naval Reserve Officers Association, and the International Organization of Masters, Mates, and Pilots. He is a retired commander of the US Navy and has since held multiple positions in the private sector, including as an associate professor at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy, as the president and school director at the Cape Cod Marine Institute, Inc., and as the East Coast port captain for CITGO Petroleum Corporation. Mostly recently, this expert worked as the safety manager at Norwegian Cruise Lines America and as a manager of seafarers certification and documentation at Liberian International. He is currently a maritime nautical inspector for the largest open ship registry in the world, where he conducts port security inspection audits and supports international safety management, as well as a visiting professor and deck training officer at a maritime academy in Massachusetts.