Description
During this process, surfaces of steel ships are prepared for painting.1
Steam or fresh water under high pressure is played onto the undersides of hulls to remove
barnacles and other growth. Exterior surfaces may be sandblasted, but chipping, using
chipping hammers, wire brushes and grinders, powered either pneumatically or electrically,
is more common. Interior preparation is usually done by hand, although special equipment
may be used in tanks and in void or double bottoms.1
- Chemical paint and rust removers may be used in preparing metal surfaces.
- A commercial diving operation may be used to clean the undersides of hulls while
the ship remains in the water. For example, divers may manually steer a hull cleaning
device called a SCAMP, which is comprised of rotating steel brushes and an impeller to
vacuum the material removed from the hull.
Equipment
- Scaffolding and ladders
- Abrasive blasting equipment - rubber hose lines, compressors, nozzles, couplings,
etc.
- Electrical or pneumatic hand tools
- Tackle
- Flame torches
- Personal protective clothing - hats or hoods, dust masks, goggles,
face shields, respirators, gloves
- SCAMP - an underwater hull cleaning device operated by
divers
Associated Hazards
- Hearing loss from noise -
noise is prevalent. Pneumatic chippers used in descaling generate especially high levels
of noise.
- Lead poisoning during
stripping and chipping operations - flame stripping can vaporize lead
paints. Chipping and cutting-up where lead paints are present creates lead-containing
dusts.2
For standards covering explosive and other dangerous atmospheres, see 29 CFR
1915, Subpart B.
- Thermal burns during steam cleaning operations.
- Drowning, injuries from falls -
surges from pressure drops in hose lines pose a special hazard. Section 29 CFR 1915.34(c)(3)(v)
requires that abrasive blasters wear safety belts where railings fail to provide adequate
protection against falls. For standards covering scaffolds, ladders
and other working surfaces, see 29 CFR 1915, Subpart E. Drowning results
from falls from staging, decks, and end and wings wall of dry docks. Work over and near
water requires life jackets, but compliance is difficult to enforce.3 For
standards covering types and maintenance of lifesaving equipment, see 29 CFR 1915.158.
For standards covering personal flotation devices, which references
Coast Guard standards, 46 CFR 160 and 33 CFR 175.23, see 29 CFR 1915.158(a). OSHA has issued two instructions that concern falling hazards.
OSHA instruction STD
03-10-006 [STD 3-10.6] covers restrictions on welding from float and ship scaffolds and clarifies a
contradiction between
29 CFR 1926.451(w) and 29 CFR 1926.451(a)(18)
by allowing welding from these scaffolds providing the supporting ropes are without flaws
and of adequate size. OSHA instruction STD 1-11.2B concerns work platforms suspended from
lattice or hydraulic crane booms, and clarifies 29 CFR 1926.550(b)(2)
by allowing the use of such platforms only when the procedure is safer than alternative
available work practices.
- Ruptured air hose lines -
see 29 CFR 1915.34(c)
for standard covering abrasive blasting hoses, nozzles, and couplings.
- Eye injuries from scale and rust are a prevalent injury; see 29 CFR 1915.153(a)
for standard covering eye protection equipment, which references the
American Standard Safety Code for Head, Eye and Respiratory
Protection, Z2.1.
- Respiratory damage from abrasive particles and dusts during abrasive blasting - see 29 CFR 1915.34(c)
for standard covering personal protective equipment in abrasive
blasting. Silica may pose an additional hazard during
abrasive blasting.
- Electrocution
from portable electric hand
tools and lights - portable tools and lights are used extensively.
Double-insulation is preferred to grounding.3
For standards covering portable hand tools, see 29 CFR 1915.132.
- Drowning, traumatic injury, and decompression sickness among divers while using
underwater hull cleaning devices - although diving depths are low, the
operation is hazardous due to proximity to machinery and low visibility. Section
29 CFR 1910, Subpart T
covers the standard for commercial diving
operations. The cleaning equipment should be guarded and equipped with a dead-man control
to avoid diver contact with moving brushes or the current created by the impeller.
- Exposure to silica during
abrasive blasting operations.
References
1 Best, A.M. "Ship descaling." Loss Control Engineering Manual
(1975).
2 Haglind, O. "Occupational health in the shipbuilding industry." Safety and Health in Shipbuilding and Ship Repair.
Geneva: International Labour Office,
1972.
3 Netterson, R.W. "Accident prevention in shipbuilding and repairing."
Safety and Health in Shipbuilding and Ship Repair. Geneva: International Labour Office,
1972.
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