Pensacola seamen need to be amateur investigators on the vessel

If you’re an offshore worker out of Pensacola and the Panhandle, nobody needs to tell you how dangerous your workplace is. It’s a dangerous enough world out there without being compounded by worry. The last thing you need out on the platform or on the supply boat is to live in constant fear of a Deepwater Horizon explosion or being crushed between the piling and the boat in rough seas.

It does make sense to bring a scientific approach to the workplace. By this we mean getting yourself into the habit of taking mental notes of any questionable practice or safety item. It’s a good habit to carry around a notebook in your front or back pocket and write down as many details as possible. Write down the following: direct quotes from a co-worker or supervisor, exact weather conditions, sea state, time and date, latitude and longitude. Really, any pertinent details you can think of. If the unsafe condition is an ongoing unresolved situation, keep a running log. Take pictures.

Why follow this practice of keep a written log? Because if you ever need to file a lawsuit or are named in one, having a detailed story will work greatly in your favor.

We at V & B represent offshore workers from the Panhandle and all along the Gulf Coast. Feel free to order one of our many books and reports and we will send it free of charge.