Britannia P&I Club: Health Watch Vol.2 Issue 3
Britannia P&I Club issued Health Watch Volume 2, Issue 3 December 2013 including accident prevention, particularly the importance of ensuring that crew members wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), even when performing routine tasks.
The MCA (Maritime and Coastguard Agency) Code of Safe Working Practices Chapter 4 Personal Protective Equipment’ (PPE) states that it is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that crew members are provided with suitable PPE where it is needed and, in general, it should be supplied at no cost to the worker. All crew members should also be properly trained in its use and equipment should be checked by wearers each time before use. Overalls, gloves and suitable footwear are the basic proper working attire for most work on board ship but other equipment can be required for particular jobs.
Here is a list of what you might have to wear:
Head Protection
Safety helmets:A helmet can offer protection against falling objects and can also guard against crushing or sideways blows and splashes from chemicals.
Bump caps: This is an ordinary cap with a hard, penetration-resistant shell, useful in protecting against bruising and abrasion when working in confined spaces such as in the bottom of a tank. However, it is only intended to protect against minor knocks.
Hair nets and safety caps: These are needed to keep hair from getting tangled when working with machinery.
Hearing Protection
This is necessary for all crew members exposed to high levels of noise such as in machinery spaces.
Ear plugs: These are useful but only offer limited noise level reduction.
Ear muffs: Provide a more effective form of protection, especially in noisier environments.
Face/Eye Protection
Eyes are the most sensitive parts of the body and in daily operations the chances of an eye injury are high if protective eyewear is not used. Wearing the wrong type of eye protection, such as glasses with no sides, also contributes to a significant number of accidents. The main causes of eye injuries are infra-red rays (from gas welding), ultra violet rays (from electric welding), exposure to chemicals and exposure to particles and foreign bodies.
Welding shield: Protects eyes against high intensity sparks and UV rays.
Full face protection: A full face visor is often the best protection in work areas where there is risk of flying particles and chemical splashes.
Goggles: Offer more protection than glasses because they form a seal around the eye area and are useful in protecting against chemical splashes, vapour and dust particles.
Safety glasses: Offer less protection, as they do not have sides, but have impact-resistant frames and lenses and may have prescription or non-prescription lenses. Proper fitting is essential, so they fit close to the face and therefore there is less risk of an object reaching the eye.
Face mask: Protects against breathing in harmful substances when painting or cleaning.
Respiratory Protective Equipment
This is essential protection when working in conditions where there is irritating, dangerous or poisonous dust, fumes or gases. A respirator filters the air before it is inhaled while breathing apparatus supplies air or oxygen from an uncontaminated source.
Hand and Foot Protection
Gloves: The type of gloves you need depends on the type of work you are doing. Leather – for handling rough or sharp objects. Heat-resistant – for handling hot objects. Rubber, synthetic or PVC – for handling acids, alkalis, various oils, solvents and chemicals.Body Protection
Footwear: Most foot injuries result from wearing unsuitable footwear such as sandals or plimsolls. Injuries are commonly caused through impact, penetration through the sole, slipping, heat and crushing.
Body Protection
There are various types of overalls which can protect the body from hazards suchas hot oil, water, welding sparks and chemicals. High visibility clothing should be worn when it is important to be seen such as during loading or unloading cargo. Safety harnesses should also be worn by those at risk of falling from a height whether above or below deck.
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