Otrovi su tvari koje mogu uzrokovati privremeno ili trajno oštećenje ako se unesu ili resorbiraju u tijelo u dovoljnoj količini. Trovanja mogu biti akutna (nastaju naglo) te kronična (nastaju postupno, tijekom dužeg unošenja otrova u organizam). Otrovi na brodu mogu biti otrovi koji se svakodnevno koriste, otrovi koji mogu nastati u brodskim pogonima tijekom radnih postupaka, odnosno od brodskih tereta. Otrovi najčešće prodiru u čovjekov organizam kroz kožu (perkutano), kroz usta (oralno), odnosno kroz probavne organe (ingestijom) te preko dišnih organa (inhalacijom). U ovom radu analizirana su otrovanja uzrokovana tvarima koje se na brodu svakodnevno koriste (lijekovi, etilni alkohol, metanol i etilen glikol, organofosforni i karbamatni insekticidi te kiseline i lužine), otrovanja uzrokovana izlaganjem opasnim plinovima (jednostavnim i kemijskim zagušljivcima, nadražljivcima donjih i gornjih dišnih puteva te plinovima sistemskog djelovanja) te otrovanja uzrokovana ubodima i ugrizima (štakora, zmija, škorpiona, pauka i otrovnih morskih životinja). Pomorcima u svakodnevnom radu na brodu prijeti jako mnogo otrova, posebno na brodovima koji prevoze opasni brodski teret. Mjere sprječavanja ili minimaliziranja rizika od trovanja na brodovima odnose se na ispunjenje odgovarajućih konstrukcijskih standarda te korištenje osobnih zaštitnih sredstava. U slučaju trovanja brodski časnik zadužen za pružanje prve pomoći treba ukloniti trenutačnu opasnost po život pomorca i spriječiti pogoršanja njegova zdravstvenog stanja. Važno je da časnik koji je zadužen za pružanje prve pomoći članovima posade na brodu zna čime se unesrećeni otrovao, koliko je otrova uzeo i kada se otrovanje točno dogodilo.

Toxins are substances that can cause temporary or permanent damage if are placed or absorbed into the body in sufficient quantity. Poisoning can be acute (rapidly occurring) and chronic (develops gradually, over an extended period of time). Poisons on the board can be poisons that are used daily, poisons that may arise in ship drives of working procedures, or of a ship's cargo. Toxins usually penetrate the human body through the skin (percutaneous), by mouth (orally) or through the intestines (ingestion) and through the respiratory organs (inhalation). In this paper it was examined the poisoning caused by substances that are on board daily used (drugs, ethyl alcohol, methanol and ethylene glycol, organophosphate and carbamate insecticides and acids and alkalis), poisoning caused by exposure to dangerous gases (simple and chemical gases, irritants, upper and lower respiratory roads and gas systemic effects), and poisoning caused by stings and bites (rats, snakes, scorpions, spiders and poisonous marine animals). To seafarers in their daily work on board threatens a lot of toxins, particularly on vessels carrying dangerous cargo. Measures to prevent or minimize risk of poisoning on board relate to the fulfillment of appropriate design standards and the use of personal protective equipment. In case of poisoning ship's officer in charge of first aid should remove immediate danger to the life of a seafarer and prevent the deterioration of his health condition. It is important that the officer in charge of first aid crew knows which injured poisoned, how much the poison penetrate in seafarers body and when poisoning exactly happened.