Protect your eyes and stay on board

As a seafarer you know: work on board a seagoing vessel is dangerous. Especially your most important sensory organ – your eyes – is exposed to many risks:

• from foreign substances during cutting, grinding, drilling, derusting or anchoring which can injure your eyes;
• from handling hazardous substances that can burn your eyes;
• from deflagrations which can burn your eyes; or
• from UV rays e.g. from welding or excessive solar radiation which can cause flash burn.

Unfortunately, such eye injuries occur frequently as number of cases of the Telemedical Maritime Assistance Service (TMAS Germany) prove. In the worst case, this kind of injury can lead to the loss of an eye. With just one eye, you cannot work at sea as a seafarer, because you are only fit for sea service (Maritime Medicine Regulations, Annex 1) if you can see with both eyes.

You can easily avoid eye injuries: consistently wear suitable protective glasses.

The Seafarer's Compendium (Handbook of Safe Working Practices) of the BG Verkehr gives advice about suitable eye protection and during which tasks protective glasses should be worn. The Seafarer's Compendium is also available as app in the respective app store of your smartphone.

Protect your eyes!

An initiative of the Maritime Medical Service and the Prevention Department of BG Verkehr as well as the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure.