America’s Shipyards: When Safety Fails, Workers Pay the Price
At about 1:00 p.m. on a Monday in August 2024, workers at a full-service shipyard in San Diego heard a loud crash and cries for help.
They found one of their co-workers, a 58-year-old pipefitter with 30 years of experience in the industry, trapped underneath a piece of steel foundation. The workers were able to lift the metal piece off the pipefitter and performed CPR until paramedics arrived.
Despite their best efforts, the man died at the scene.
Just about a year earlier, a worker at a shipyard in North Charleston suffered a fatal fall while working on a U.S. Navy vessel. In November 2023, the 41-year-old fell nearly 20 feet into an exhaust tube, sustaining severe head injuries that ultimately claimed his life.
His death was one of several at the same shipyard, and OSHA’s investigation revealed multiple safety violations, including inadequate fall protection and poor lighting. OSHA proposed $190,130 in penalties in response to the incident.
Why Shipyard Work Is One of the Most Hazardous Jobs in the U.S.
Shipyards are essential to the defense, transportation, and commercial industries, as they are responsible for the construction, maintenance, and repair of military vessels, cargo ships, and other marine vessels that keep global trade and defense efforts operational. These facilities serve as the backbone of maritime infrastructure, ensuring that vessels are safe, efficient, and ready for their missions at sea.
Shipyard workers are the skilled laborers who make this possible. There are about 165,000 workers employed in shipyards at inland and coastal waters across the United States, spanning 26 states. Their tasks include welding, cutting steel, installing and maintaining machinery, painting, and fabricating metal components. They assemble large sections of ships, handle rigging, and operate heavy equipment, often working in hazardous environments such as confined spaces or at significant heights.
The shipyard industry is notorious for being one of America’s most dangerous occupations, with fatality and injury rates significantly higher than the national average.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), between 2011 and 2017, shipyard workers experienced 45 fatal accidents, translating to a rate of 4 deaths per 100,000 workers—higher than many other U.S. industries. Nonfatal injuries were also a concern, with 61,600 reported cases during this period, nearly double the rate seen in other sectors.
Shipyard workers face numerous risks daily due to the physically demanding and high-risk nature of their work. The dangers are constant—but they can be mitigated.
Leading Causes of Shipyard Accidents
Falls, exposure to toxic substances, and electrocutions are among the most common causes of fatalities and injuries in shipyards.
All of these can be prevented.
OSHA standards address each of these—as well as all other potential causes—of shipyard accidents.
Falls: Nearly 40% of shipyard fatalities between 1992 and 2014 resulted from falls to a lower level, making them the leading cause of fatal accidents in shipyards.
Shipyard workers often operate at heights, whether painting hulls or working on scaffolding, and fall protection failures are all too common. In the case of the worker who fell to his death at the North Charleston shipyard, OSHA investigators identified serious safety violations that led to the tragic incident:
- The area was not properly lit.
- Workers were not wearing protective helmets.
- There was no guardrail.
- There was no fall protection system in place.
For example, “When employees were working aloft, or elsewhere at elevations more than 5 feet above a solid surface, the employer did not provide either scaffolds or a sloping ladder…to afford safe footing, and the employees were not protected by safety belts and lifelines…” - OSHA Citation and Notification of Penalty April 18, 2024.
Struck-By Accidents: Workers in shipyards are frequently exposed to heavy machinery, cranes, and massive steel components. Accidents where workers are struck by falling objects or machinery account for a significant portion of shipyard injuries. The tragic death of the worker at the San Diego shipyard is a prime example of the risks involved when safety protocols aren't followed.
At the time of this writing, OSHA’s investigation into the fatality is ongoing.
Electrocution and Hazardous Exposure: Shipyard workers often come into contact with electrical systems, welding equipment, and hazardous chemicals. Without proper precautions, these exposures can lead to serious injuries, chronic illnesses, or even death.
Fall protection, proper lockout-tagout procedures, personal protective equipment (PPE), and other measures significantly limit the risks shipyard workers face on the job. With the right training and equipment, shipyard injuries and fatalities would be all but nonexistent.
Shipyard Owners & Employers Are Responsible for Safety
Shipyard owners and employers have a legal and moral obligation to protect their workers by adhering to safety regulations. This includes providing adequate fall protection, maintaining equipment, and ensuring that workers are properly trained and supervised.
Unfortunately, safety measures are often neglected.
OSHA may investigate fatalities and issue citations against employers who fail to uphold safety standards, but these citations are reactive rather than preventive, meaning that safety enforcement often comes too late—after a tragedy has occurred.
Shipyards must take a proactive approach to ensure their workers’ safety by conducting regular safety audits, enforcing strict adherence to safety protocols, and holding supervisors accountable for maintaining a safe work environment.
For shipyard workers, every day on the job is filled with risks—but those risks should never come at the cost of their lives. It’s time for the shipyard industry to prioritize safety above all else. No matter what.
