Accidents to port workers occur in the same measure as ships and on land. This is explained by the "Severe Risks Dashboard", a report by International Cargo Handling Coordination Association (ICHCA), the international organization dedicated to improving safety in the handling of goods, which examined almost 500 accidents involving port workers in the last 25 years. The document specifies that three-quarters of these incidents occur are verified during loading operations and that the load crushing, which accounts for a quarter of all accidents, was the main cause of deaths that occurred in ports. In addition, 23% of high-risk accidents have impact between vehicles and pedestrians, mainly pedestrians and mobile handling equipment, making them the second largest type of fatal accident, while falls are the third leading cause of death. Even the accidents that occur occur in confined or enclosed spaces are distinguished as a important risk.

With regard to accidents on board ships, bulk were found to be the type of ship with the Increased likelihood of fatal accidents occurring in on board, followed by general cargo, ro-ro, container ships and tankers. The report notes that bulk carriers, ro-ros and container ships seem to have registered a number of accidents proportional to their share in the fleet worldwide.