Manual handling

Safe lifting + carrying + pushing + pulling onboard — the single largest source of shipboard musculoskeletal injury.

Why it matters

Manual handling injuries account for roughly a quarter of all reported shipboard lost-time injuries per UK MAIB + P&I club claims data. Back injury on a moving deck is career-ending for many seafarers. The mitigation is not heroics — it is task planning, mechanical aid use, and honest weight limits.

Common hazards

• Awkward loads (stores, spares, mooring lines) lifted from deck level on a rolling ship.
• Provisions loading through cross-deck routes with limited grip.
• Two-person lifts where the pair haven't agreed on lead + timing.
• Repetitive-strain injury from bunker-hose handling + hose-string manhandling.
• Slippery decks (grease, weather, cargo residue) turning a routine lift into a slip.

Practical checklist

• Assess the load — weight, shape, grip, distance, path, destination.
• Use mechanical aids (pallet trucks, cranes, davits, chain blocks) whenever available.
• Two-person lift over 25kg; team lift with a nominated caller over 50kg.
• Route survey — no steps, no low headroom, no slippery patches.
• Correct posture — legs bent, back straight, load close to torso.
• PPE — safety boots + gloves + hi-vis at minimum.
• Stop if the ship's motion is beyond the plan — re-time or re-route.

Mistakes to avoid

• Racing to finish a stores load before weather closes in.
• Skipping the mechanical aid because it's parked two decks below.
• Ignoring an early twinge — a sharp back pain is a hard stop, not a "walk it off".

Last verified 3 months ago