The safety requirements on a boat are extensive and significant and of primary importance and should be the number 1 concern of all sailors. There is much to consider and every boat owner should perform a risk assessment for their particular boat. Unless the boat is a modern boat which is carefully optimized for safe offshore cruising there will be deficiencies that will need addressing. The safety requirements on a boat covers everything from voyage and passage planning, crew briefings, communications, safety equipment deployment and use, weather forecasts and so on.
While it is more extreme than normal cruising the statistics and experiences are probably quite similar and are a good guide for cruising yachts when doing their own risk assessments. One trend was the increased injuries at the start of each leg of the voyage and this is important for those departing on a trip. The safety requirements on a boat also include fire safety, galley safety, food safety, first aid, dinghy safety, abandoning vessels along with life jackets and life rafts, heavy weather sailing and a lot more.
Disclaimer: The information on this website is readily available from many sources including online resources. I accept no responsibility for any of the information, advice or opinions expressed here. Always consult your health care professional or get advice as to your local requirements for the use of safety equipment or for carrying these on board. I will say this frequently, ENROLL IN A FIRST AID COURSE!
The statistics being quoted here were based
on detailed study of the British Telecom Round the World Yacht Race
1996–1997 and all the 14 person crews on 14 boats were included. These crew
were mostly amateurs with professional skippers. In this study a total of 685
cases were reported. A total of 299 (43.6%) were injuries and a further 386
(56.4%) were illness related. This race
was over a 10-month period under all weather conditions. One distinction was that they had a medic on board
with appropriate medical supplies and access to shore based medical
advice. Also, I have consulted another
very good survey out of the USA that is later and is similar. From
a survey of 1188 respondents, a total of 1715 injuries and 559 illnesses was
reported. The most common injuries were leg contusions, hand lacerations and
arm contusions and the most common injury mechanisms were trip and fall, hit by
an object and caught in lines. The most common factors were incidents that happened during tacking, heavy
weather and jibing. Soft-tissue injuries to extremities were common. More accident and illness studies about safety requirements for boating can be found here. Minimize your sailboat accidents by preparing for every eventuality.
When working on deck and in particular when heading forward, in heavier weather this has got be carefully planned. Total focus and concentration are required along with a risk assessment. Before you head out of the cockpit make sure you understand the boat motions and wave periods, is there pattern for larger waves coming through? are you experiencing increased wind gusts? I nearly went overboard years ago on a small commercial cargo vessel during a hurricane in the North Atlantic. When looking back I was too inexperienced to understand all the factors. I went forward to a deckhouse to resolve a technical problem, a big green wave came over the bows, and I got carried down the length of the ship, banged up by life-saving high bulwarks. Big lesson learnt! The biggest subject always under discussion is falling overboard or having someone go over the side. There are many issues to address that range from optimizing line handling back to cockpits and foredeck avoidance to lifelines and jackstays. The issue of harnesses and tethers along with MOB recovery strategies and equipment to deploy when someone has gone over the side. Working on deck is all about staying on board and not becoming a man overboard.
Accidents occur at regular frequency and the enquiry and coronial reports make sobering reading. There are lessons to be learnt from these many reports. Medical emergencies are a major issue as are trauma injuries that require immediate first aid. Abrasions and contusions were most prominent in the survey at 36%. Lacerations made up another 11.0% of injuries and hand and finger injuries are common. These wounds often get infected and suturing is difficult when the sea state is up, stapling devices might be a good idea here and those stick-on ones don’t stick that well on damp skin. A common and recommended cruising practice is to put on waterproof clothing during heavy weather in the galley. Burns which includes thermal, rope, and sun burn, made up 15.7%. The use of gloves in cold and wet weather and when handling ropes under high tension is highly recommended.
Fractures comprised 11.0% of injuries (been there and cracked some ribs). As a note rib fractures were also commonly experienced in the Sydney Hobart race 1996–1997, during which very heavy weather claimed several lives. The coronial report makes very informative reading. Damage to cartilage, ligaments or tendons were 9% of injuries. The principal problems in the lower limb were knee injuries comprised of ligament, cartilage, or cruciate damage. If you have issues with your knees then consider wearing supports. If you pop your knee, you are in a world of hurt out there. A good proportion of injuries occur when moving across the boat when tacking or when steering or operating a winch. Whatever you do on board, do a risk assessment before you start. Is the task safe and is it within your capabilities in the current conditions. The safety requirements on a boat are substantial and you can avoid accidents.