How ship launches drove yard safety rules

Have ship launches killed people by crushing them?

Yes. People were crushed by supports or moving ships and dragged under hulls; such deaths contributed to demands for safer yard procedures.

Ship launches killed people caught among the blocks or alongside a moving hull, including those dragged underneath it. Removing supports at the correct moment required skilled people to work close to the ship. Constructors responsible for controlling the launch shared some of those hazards with the workforce. Repeated deaths contributed to changes in yard practices and growing demands for safer working conditions. Trade-union pressure is also raised, particularly in the American comparison. No single accident is named as the origin of a particular regulation.