Abstract
The objective of this paper is to investigate causes and incidence rates of 115 fatalities between 2000 and 2010 in Turkish shipyards and to propose mitigation measures. The fatality rate in Turkish shipbuilding industry is unacceptably high, being 3.5 times the average of all industry groups. Classification of fatal occupational accidents revealed five major fatality reasons for the shipbuilding industry; falling from higher elevation to a lower level, exposed to electric shock, fire and/or explosion, being struck by or struck against objects, and caught in between. The highest number of cases of fatal accidents was found among welders, blasters, painters and substructure workers. Statistically analyzed data showed that working on Mondays and Saturdays have special impact on the fatality probability. Also, the number of fatalities is highest in working temperatures above average 25 °C, which covers from June through September. Strategies recommended to minimize the fatalities at shipyards are discussed. Furthermore a risk framework of fatal occupational accidents were drawn so that when working conditions are within the high risk region, extra precautions can be taken in order to minimize the occurrence of accidents and fatalities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1247-1252 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Safety Science |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 5 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jun 2012 |
Funding
This study was made possible due to grants from the Scientific Research Foundation of Istanbul Technical University, The Chamber of Turkish Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and Turkish Loyd Foundation.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| Turkish Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and Turkish Loyd Foundation | |
| Istanbul Teknik Üniversitesi |
Keywords
- Fatality
- Occupational accidents
- Prevention
- Safety
- Shipyard