The 4 most common types of injuries among longshore workers

Some of the most costly injuries that maritime workers have to contend with are workplace strain ones. A 2017 Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index study revealed that maritime employers paid out over $13.8 billion for overexertion injuries that year. Four types of injuries leave longshore workers incapacitated more often than others.

Low repetitive force injuries most commonly result in injuries to longshore workers. Anyone who is subjected to repetitive, cumulative trauma — whether it comes from a sustained force across an extended period or a constant low-force application source — may develop this type of injury.

Longshoremen are often left with this type of injury from pulling cables, working on assembly lines, loading or unloading pallets and repeatedly grinding their hands.

Another injury that longshoremen may be left with is high force injury ones. They’re often caused by a single injuring event such as a slip, trip and fall, an auto accident or after being struck by an object.

Cumulative trauma injuries are also quite common among longshore workers. They often result from longshoremen working hard across long hours. Anyone who takes too little time to rest and recover and constantly kneels or uses vibrating tools on the job may cause irreversible damage to their body. Your tissue tends to break down if you don’t allow it to recover as you age. This may leave you with diminished defenses over time.

The final type of injury that longshoremen often suffer is a sustained force one. Individuals who engage in constant activities for extended time damage their tissues. Your fatigued muscles may experience an inability to get enough oxygen and blood. This causes further deterioration of your tissues.

Longshoremen who are forced to kneel, bend their backs, work with their arms overhead or otherwise maintain a static posture are at the highest risk for this type of injury.

Working on a dock as a longshore worker often requires you to engage in strenuous labor for an extended period. The wear and tear that it places on your body can be considerable and leave you with lasting impairments that affect your quality of life. This is why you should consult with a Longshore Act attorney in Manhattan if you’ve been injured on the job. Your New York lawyer can advise you of how federal legislation may protect you if you’ve suffered a disabling condition while at work.