Insights from the analysis of occupational accidents on board ships

The maritime working environment includes physical, ergonomic, environmental, psychological, and cultural contributors which may lead to the occurrence of occupational accidents and injuries. Therefore, the identification of underlying causes of fatalities, as well as non-fatal occupational injuries onboard ships, is essential to define priorities and design effective preventive strategies on occupational health and safety. This paper presents the results from a descriptive analysis of onboard ships occupational accidents conducted on a historical database and describe the existing gaps in occupational accidents data collection and analysis. Moreover, recommendations to overcome these gaps are provided.