Back injuries can mean no more offshore work

100-million workdays are lost annually to U.S. industry because of back injuries at a cost of $10-14 billion, according to a 2002 Kansas State University study. Back problems are second only to the common cold as the leading source of lost workdays. With fishermen ranked as the most dangerous job in the country and maritime work in general a demanding and accident prone environment, it’s very likely that offshore back injuries have a much higher incidence rate and economic effect than the norm.

According to OSHA, back injuries “account for a significant amount of human suffering, loss of productivity, and economic burden on compensation systems.”  Over 600,000 workers are afflicted each year at a cost of $50 billion, reports the National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH); that dollar amount far exceeds the Kansas State figure.

Though the symptoms of a back injury may be relatively minor at the outset, they can progress until they become acute and result in a permanently disabling injury. This is especially true offshore where there is a lot of heavy lifting and bending which can weaken the musculoskeletal support mechanism over time.

Therefore, seafarers should be forewarned against signing a quick settlement offer in exchange for forfeiting the right to sue later on. The money might be appreciated now but what happens in a few years when your back condition degenerates into a permanent disability forcing the end of your career on the water and no means of financial support.