Towboat Deckhand Injuries: Lines, Wires, and Lock Walls

A towboat deckhand's office is a string of steel barges, often wet, often dark, sometimes iced over, with a river moving underneath. He walks it with a flashlight, a ratchet bar, and a lot of trust in the man in the wheelhouse. Most of the injuries I review in towing cases happen out there, and most of them follow a handful of familiar patterns.

Making and breaking tow

Building a tow means tying barges together with wires and ratchets, then tying the tow to the boat. Breaking it apart means undoing all that, often in a fleet at night with other boats working nearby. The work involves heavy wire under tension, ratchets that can kick, and gaps between barges that can open and close as the tow shifts.

The injuries are predictable: hands caught in rigging, backs and shoulders hurt pulling wire, falls between barges or into the river. The questions are predictable too. Was the job planned? How many deckhands were working it? Was the pilot holding the boat steady while they worked? Was the new man paired with someone experienced?

Lock walls and line handling

Locking through means handling lines on a lock wall or floating mooring bit while the tow rises or falls. A line that is not tended can part or jam. A deckhand standing in the wrong place when a line comes tight can be badly hurt. The lockmaster's instructions, the boat's procedures, and the crew's training all bear on what happened.

Walking the tow

Deckhands walk barges to check rigging, pump voids, and handle lines. Wet coaming, missing or damaged handholds, debris, and poor lighting turn routine walks into falls. Some companies require life vests and lights at all times on the tow. Some enforce it.

Working alone

Many towing injuries involve a deckhand working by himself, out of sight of the wheelhouse. A man alone who falls between barges or into the river at night may not be missed for minutes. Company policies on working alone, radio checks, and lighting are worth pulling in every case.

What the records should show

• The towing safety management system or company procedures for the task
• The deckhand's training and how long he had been aboard
• Crew list and watch schedule for the day
• The deck log and any job safety analysis
• Photos of the rigging, ratchets, and wires involved
• Prior reports of the same hazard on that boat or in that fleet
• The CG-2692 report, if one was filed

The standard is practical

None of this requires special theory. A well-run towboat plans the work, puts enough hands on it, trains new people before sending them out alone, keeps the gear in decent shape, and watches out for the deck crew from the wheelhouse. When an injury happens, the records usually show which of those broke down.

I review these cases with my committee service on towing safety and the Subchapter M framework in mind, and I keep my opinions to operations, training, and industry practice.

About the author

Captain Mitchell S. Stoller is a Master Mariner Unlimited, former Exxon tanker master, and former Los Angeles Harbor pilot. About Captain Stoller