Shipyard Employment
ยป Fire Protection
The following information has been developed to help employers and employees develop an
effective fire protection program. This
involves protecting
shipyard employment workers from fire hazards while
conducting ship repair, shipbuilding, shipbreaking, and related work activities
as well as firefighting activities. Many of the basic tasks involved in shipyard
employment, such as welding, grinding, and cutting metal with torches, provide
an ignition source for fires.
There are also many combustible materials on vessels and in shipyards, including
flammable fuels, cargo, wood structures, building materials, and litter. When
torches are used in confined or enclosed spaces, accidents resulting in
oxygen-enriched atmospheres can cause normally fire-resistant materials to
readily burn. When fires do occur, employees are often working in confined or
enclosed spaces making escape difficult or impossible. Fires in such
confined or enclosed spaces can also result in atmospheres of combustible gases,
toxic fumes, or oxygen-deficient air or super-heated air.
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Figure 1. Vessel on fire being extinguished
by fireboats.
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When the worksite has multiple employers, the
host employer (typically the shipyard or
the owner of the vessel) and the
contract employer must assure: [1915.501(d)]
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that their fire safety plans are compatible (include hazards, controls, fire safety
and health rules, and emergency procedures), and
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that all employees are familiar with the plan.
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that the plan is accessible to all employees.
This chapter includes:
Additional Resources:
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