This study investigates determinants of fatal and nonfatal crew injuries in
ship accidents, utilizing detailed data of individual tanker, container an
d bulk ship (US and foreign) accidents investigated by the US Coast Guard.
Poisson and negative binomial regression estimates suggest that fatal and n
onfatal injuries are greater: (1) if the accident cause is human rather tha
n environmental or ship related and (2) for fire/explosion and multiple-shi
p accidents. The results provide strong evidence of a positive relationship
between crew injuries and human causes of ship accidents, thereby providin
g support for the current shift in safety focus towards regulating human ac
tions aboard ships rather than just the condition of ships.