Cargo ships are a deceptive breed of vessel: while their design and purpose may seem simple at first, there’s a lot more moving parts and interconnected designs than you might expect. A good example of this is the ventilation system. While proper air flow and purification is a must on any boat, espe …

From the biggest supertankers cruising international waters to the smallest speedboats out for a fun weekend on the water, boats of all sizes have one crucial safety feature in common: emergency flares. Required by law in many cases, and a good idea even when not mandated by local or federal guideli …

Maritime work, almost more than any other industry, comes with nearly a dictionary’s worth of unique terms, phrases, and things to remember. Many of them stretch back for hundreds of years and have remained in popular usage, whether due to the similar construction of boats from then to now or simply …

One of the most common sources of accidents at sea, from the smallest jet ski injuries to collisions between the largest supertankers, is navigational errors. Despite all the recent advances in navigational technology making the job easier than ever, at-sea navigation remains a precise – and risky – …

Whether you’re an expert on technology or you’re always asking your kids how to check email on your phone, everyone knows the role smartphones play in modern life. Checking finances, paying bills, playing games, making poor decisions on Amazon late at night – whatever you want to do, there’s a good …

We’ve all heard the old urban legend about the penny on the railroad track, but in the real world there’s actually a lot of potential safety hazards that face every railroad in America that go sadly un-repaired. From faulty equipment to lack of foresight to plain carelessness on the part of the mana …

Lifeboat drills – they’re designed to help keep seamen and workers safe in the event of an emergency, but even the act of practicing lifeboat usage comes with its own risks and hazards. A study done in 2014 by a safety survey group based out of the UK indicated that accidents involving the usage of …

No matter how mechanized and automated it gets, cargo handling is still a common job for maritime workers on vessels of any size or destination. And as you can imagine, there’s a lot of risk that comes with cargo handling. Far above and beyond the typical loads carried by semi trucks on land, cargo …

With the long shifts, hours, days, or weeks spent at sea, and the physical strain associated with long voyages on the ocean, it’s no wonder that many sailors find themselves having a lot of sleepless nights out on the water. While lack of sleep can affect workers in any industry – and let’s face it, …