Slips, trips and falls

Slips, trips and falls aboard ships represent nearly one in three of the largest personal injury claims submitted to the UK P&I Club, totalling US$155 million in the past 10 years. Petar Modev, of the UK P&I Club, examines the hazards posed and suggests how to reduce incidents

What is so special about slips, trips and falls? They are “accidents”, part and parcel of life; maybe something which has to be expected working aboard ships, which are mobile, sometimes even violently moving, places of work. People can suffer injury as they move around a ship, possibly doing their jobs, or even just because the ship is not only their place of work, but also where they live. Personal claims resulting from slips, trips and falls have aggregated to a staggering US$155 million in the past 10 years.