Opinion ID: 1707200
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Jones Act Negligence in the Present Case

Text: While the parties argue over the impact on the present appeal of the intervening Gautreaux decision, the critical issue is whether plaintiff established that the method used in the SAM was unsafe for lowering and lifting tools. Absent a showing that the method utilized by plaintiff was unsafe, there can be no finding of negligence by the defendant on which to hinge an imposition of liability under the Jones Act. Implicit in the trial court's judgment in plaintiff's favor was a finding that the method used by plaintiff was unsafe. However, the record simply does not support a finding that this method of lowering and lifting a chain fall weighing thirty to forty pounds was unsafe. The trial court agreed that tools and chain falls could be safely lowered with a rope. The evidence suggested three ways that can be used to lower tools on a rope: hand-over-hand, the wrap method (putting a wrap of the rope around a handrail to shift most of the weight to the rail), and simply playing out the rope over the handrail. None of these methods was shown to be unsafe. Nor was there any evidence that the method plaintiff selected to usehand-over-hand presented an unreasonable risk of harm. The expert in drilling operations and safety presented by plaintiff simply testified that if plaintiff lowered tools manually from Location No. 1 while leaning over the handrail, it would put stress on a man's back, and, in response to a question whether this manner of doing the task was inappropriate, the expert answered that I think it puts more strain on the back than onethan alternative methods such as mechanical means. The expert thus opined not that the method was unsafe or posed an unreasonable risk of injury, but that it puts stress on the plaintiff's back analogous to lifting heavy stuff out of a trunk of a car, a common task performed every day by ordinary people without incident. All the experts agreed the hazard, if any, was an ordinary one recognized by ordinary workers. The expert presented by plaintiff stated that use of a rope was not unsafe and was not negligent. Here, the risk of harm from lowering an object weighing only thirty to forty pounds is relatively minor, and this is a routine task commonly encountered by shipboard workers. Both the trial and appellate courts agreed that defendant was not at fault for failing to provide a mechanical means for performing the task. Factually, the trial court agreed with defendant that mechanical means were not necessary and that there are safe means of manually lowering and lifting tools. Legally, the court of appeal found this case analogous to Rogers v. Eagle Offshore Drilling Services, Inc., 770 F.2d 549 (5th Cir. 1985), in which the court held that while a mechanical means of doing the task was preferable, the failure to use an available mechanical means did not render the manual means of doing the job unsafe, given the lack of evidence the manual method itself was unsafe. The failure to use an available method to accomplish the same work does not render a given method of performing the work unsafe. 770 F.2d at 550. Furthermore, mere failure to instruct and supervise does not equate to Jones Act negligence when the seaman is fully knowledgeable of the available safe method. See, e.g., Grover v. American President Lines, Inc., 1995 A.M.C. 2105, 1995 WL 510329 (N.D.Cal.1995). In Grover, the seaman's assigned task was connecting electrical cords for refrigeration units used to store cargo on deck. While attempting to reach a plug outside of his arm's reach (and admitting that he first considered getting a ladder), the seaman climbed on a rail and injured himself. Rejecting the seaman's argument that the employer was negligent in failing to properly instruct him in the proper procedures for plugging in electrical cables, the court noted testimony establishing it was common knowledge among experienced seamen that sailors should use ladders instead of climbing because men `are not monkeys.' Id. at 2108, 1995 WL 510329. Further observing that plaintiff was an experienced seaman and never denied knowing this common knowledge safety tip, the court held that plaintiff failed to prove his employer was negligent in failing to remind him of what he already knew or should have known. Id. at 2108, 1995 WL 510329. The court further reasoned that plaintiff never testified that his decision not to seek or use a ladder would have been different had he been specifically instructed at some time prior to the accident that he should use a ladder. That is, there is no evidence that the absence of instructions on ladder use was even a cause, however slight, of his injury. Id. at 2108, 1995 WL 510329 (emphasis in original). See also Robinson v. Zapata Corp., 664 F.2d 45, 48 (5th Cir.1981)(holding that [d]efendant could not have been negligent in failing to properly supervise or train an employee in off-shore welding when that employee clearly stated that he had two years experience in off-shore welding.) Similar to the situations presented in Grover and Robinson, plaintiff failed in this case to present any evidence to support a finding that defendant's failure to instruct him on proper lifting and lowering procedures, of which he admitted he had knowledge, was even a cause, however slight, of his injury. Plaintiff admitted he knew all three methods of manually lifting and lowering with a rope, and that he elected to do the task hand-over-hand. Moreover, plaintiff's supervisor, Kelly, testified in his deposition that the reason he did not instruct on safe lifting in the pre-task meeting was that [i]t's common knowledge to throw your wrap around the pole right there and that [i]t's common sense and not a matter requiring any special training. The trial court's judgment in plaintiff's favor on the negligence claim was based on defendant's failure to adequately instruct, train and supervise him in safe lifting and lowering tools for a SAM. The trial court recognized that plaintiff had substantial training and experience, yet concluded that the supervisors on board the DISCOVERER 534 were not making sure that proper safety methods were being used on the rig. It is clear that Vendetto was not properly trained in the safe method of lowering and lifting tools. The evidence, however, established that plaintiff was trained to use, and had actually used, safe methods of lifting and lowering tools. Plaintiff testified that he was trained in safe lifting principles. He had eight years experience working offshore performing these types of elementary tasks. He viewed videotapes on safe lifting, attended safety meetings on a regular basis at which safe lifting basics were addressed, and observed safety placards posted on the vessel. Before the accident, plaintiff had observed others lower tools, had used the wrap method and knew it was a safe method, and had lowered tools and equipment on a rope for work on this particular thruster. All of the supervisors testified that they had not observed plaintiff using an unsafe method of lifting or lowering tools and that he was competent and trained. The trial court's focus on the testimony of the expert on drilling rig operations and safety that plaintiff was in training, which was noted on one of plaintiff's evaluation reports, was misplaced. Plaintiff was not in training to learn the basic task of lifting and lowering tools; he was in training to learn how to do backlash readings, variable readings, and measurements with dial indicators, and to properly record such readings. These higher level skills were the type of things for which plaintiff needed additional training, and not the basic level skill of lifting and lowering. The absence of a written report of a pre-task meeting was another factor emphasized by the expert. The witnesses, save for plaintiff who could not recall, all testified that there was a pre-task meeting at which Kelly drew out what needed to be done. Kelly went over the procedures, what tools were needed, and discussed safety concerns such as oil leaks and hazards of falling. Orcutt and plaintiff then met and discussed between them who would do what aspects of the job. Defense witnesses, including Kelly, testified that it was unnecessary to discuss safe lifting at every pre-task meeting because plaintiff already knew them, having attended safety seminars, watched videotapes on the subject, and been trained in safe lifting techniques. Moreover, the lack of instruction or supervision was not a cause of the accident. Plaintiff failed to show that he would have done anything differently if he had been instructed further or provided with additional supervision. Indeed, plaintiff testified his supervisors had previously seen him do everything he did on the day of the accident and had never seen fit to correct him. The trial court's reliance on these factors to impose liability on defendant was incorrect, inasmuch as any lack of instruction or supervision was simply not a cause-in-fact of plaintiff's injury.