Lecture_5
Lecture_5
Ship Repair 1
Steel ship repair practices and processes
Ship repair generally includes all ship conversions, overhauls,
maintenance programmes, major damage repairs and minor
equipment repairs. Ship repair is a very important part of the
shipping and shipbuilding industry.
With fleets worldwide becoming old and inefficient, and with the
high cost of new ships, the situation is putting a strain on shipping
companies. In general, conversion and repair work in US shipyards is
more profitable than new construction.
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In new-construction shipyards, repair contracts, overhauls
and conversions also help to stabilize the workforce during
times of limited new construction, and new construction
increase the repair labour workload.
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The repair estimating group prepares the cost
estimate and the proposal for the repair contract.
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Repair planning, engineering and production
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Planning, engineering, materials, subcontracts and
repair production departments must work closely
together to perform the repair in the most timely
and cost-effective manner.
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Common types of repair work
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1. blasting and repainting the ship’s hull, freeboard, superstructure,
interior tanks and work areas
2. major machinery rebuilding and installation (e.g., diesel engines,
turbines, generators and pump stations)
3. systems overhauls, maintenance and installation (e.g., flushing,
testing and installation of a piping system)
4. new system installation, either adding new equipment or
replacing systems that are outdated (e.g., navigational systems,
combat systems, communication systems or updated piping
systems)
5. propeller and rudder repairs, modification and alignment
6. creation of new machinery spaces on the ship (e.g., cut-out of
existing steel structure and adding new walls, stiffeners, vertical
supports and webbing).
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In many cases, repair contracts are an emergency
situation with very little warning, which makes ship
repair a fast moving and unpredictable environment.
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Large repairs and conversion projects
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Most major repairs and conversions require a large
planning, engineering and production effort. In many cases,
a large quantity of steel work will need to be accomplished
(e.g., major cut-out of existing ship structure and
installation of new configurations).
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Some of the work that subcontractors perform are as
follows:
1. support of ship repair
2. major combat systems installations (technical)
3. boiler re-tubing and rebuilding
4. air compressor overhauls
5. asbestos removal and disposal
6. tank cleaning
7. blasting and painting
8. pump system overhauls
9. small structural fabrication
10. winch overhauls
11. main steam system modifications
12. system fabrications (i.e., piping, ventilation, foundations
and so on). Ship Repair 14
As with new construction, all installed systems must be
tested and operational before the ship is returned to its
owner.
Testing requirements generally originate from the contract,
although other sources of testing requirements do exist.
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There are many similarities between new
construction and repair processes.
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Hazards and Precautions
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Shipbuilding and repair is one of the most hazardous
industries. Work must be done in a variety of highly
hazardous situations, such as confined spaces and
considerable heights.
Much manual work is performed involving heavy
equipment and material. Since the work is so interrelated,
the results of one process may endanger personnel involved
in another process.
In addition, a great portion of work is performed out-of-
doors, and the effects of weather extremes can cause or
aggravate hazardous conditions.
Additionally, a number of chemicals, paints, solvents and
coatings must be used, which may pose significant risks to
employees.
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Health hazards:
Chemical hazards which pose health risks to employees in
shipyards include:
1. dusts from abrasive blasting operations
2. exposure to asbestos and mineral fibres in insulation
work
3. vapours and spray mists from paints, coatings, solvents
and thinners
4. fumes from various welding, burning, soldering and
brazing operations
5. exposure to gases used in various welding, burning and
heating processes
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6. exposure to specific toxic chemicals in epoxy resins, organo-tin and
copper anti-fouling paints, lead paint, oils, greases, pigments and the
like.
Physical hazards due to the manual nature of the work
include:
1. temperature and weather extremes associated with work
performed out-of-doors
2. electrical hazards
3. ergonomic-related problems caused by repetitive handling of
large and bulky materials
4. ionizing and non-ionizing radiation
5. noise and vibration
6. oxygen deficiency potential and other confined space hazards
associated with tanks, double bottoms and so on
7. falls and trips from work on the same level as well as work from
great heights.
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Preventive measures:
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Engineering controls are employed to eliminate or control
hazards at their point of generation. These controls are the
most desirable of the various types since they are most
dependable:
·Substitution or elimination. Where possible, processes
that produce hazards or toxic materials should be eliminated
or replaced with less hazardous processes or materials. This
is the most effective form of control.
An example is the use of non-carcinogenic materials instead
of asbestos insulation. Another example is the use of
hydraulic lifting tables for handling heavy materials, instead
of manual lifting. Replacement of solvent-based paints with
water-based coatings is frequently possible. Automation or
robotics can be used to eliminate process hazards.
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· Isolation. Processes that are not amenable to
substitution or elimination can sometimes be isolated from
employees to minimize exposures. Frequently, sources of
high noise can be relocated to place more distance between
workers and the noise source, thus reducing exposure.
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Administrative controls are used to minimize exposures
by administratively limiting the time spent by personnel in
potentially hazardous situations. This is generally
accomplished by rotating personnel from a relatively low
hazard job to a higher hazard one. Although the aggregate
amount of person-exposure time is not changed, exposure
of each individual worker is reduced.
Administrative controls are not without their negative
aspects. This technique requires additional training since
workers must know both jobs and more workers are
potentially exposed to a hazard. Also, since the number of
personnel exposed to hazards has doubled from a legal
standpoint, potential liabilities may be increased. However,
administrative control can be an effective method if
properly applied. Ship Repair 26
Personal protective controls. Shipyards must rely heavily
on the various forms of personal protection. The nature of ship
construction and repair does not lend itself to traditional engineering
approaches.
Further, the fans pushing or pulling air through the vent tubing are
generally located in fresh air, usually on a main deck, and they, too,
have somewhat limited capacity.Ship Repair 27
In addition, ship construction and repair is not performed in
an assembly line, but in separate work sites such that
stationary engineering controls are impractical. Further, a
ship may be under repair for a few days, and the extent to
which engineering control may be utilized is again limited.
Personal protective equipment is used extensively in these
situations.
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Abrasive blasting and painting. Much painting is
performed in ship construction and repair. In many cases,
the paints and coatings are specified by the ship’s owner.
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Abrasive blasting of small parts may be performed in a
closed system such as a glove box. However, most large
components are abrasive blasted manually. Some blasting is
performed in the open air, some in large bays of a building
or shop designated for this purpose and some inside the
vessels or vessel sections themselves.
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In some countries the use of crystalline silica has been banned. Its
use is generally not recommended. If silica-containing materials are
used in blasting, preventive protective measures must be taken.
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Lead: Over the years, lead-based primers and coatings
have been utilized extensively in ship construction.
Although lead-containing paints and coatings are rarely
used today, a significant amount of elemental lead is used
in nuclear shipyards as a radiation shielding material. In
addition, ship repair work often involves the removal of
older coatings that frequently contain lead. In fact, repair
work requires a great deal of sensitivity and concern for
materials that have been applied or used previously. Work
with lead requires full-body protection including coveralls,
gloves, hat, shoe covers and respiratory protection.
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