Facilities, Tooling and Risk Managment Panel Projects

Analysis of Injuries & Fatalities in Shipbuilding Industry Associated with “Struck By”, “Struck Against” or “Caught In” Incidents
To develop a product to assist the shipbuilding and ship repair industry in reducing injuries and associated hazards resulting from contact with objects or equipment. Criteria will be developed by participating shipyards for consideration of best practices associated with controlling "Struck By", Struck Against, "or "Caught-In" hazards.

Performance-Based Language for Preservative Coating Removal in New Construction Shipyards
This project will demonstrate that the preservative coatings used in the construction of Navy vessels do not pose an employee health risk that warrants the currently required 4” removal of coating prior to hot work, thus reducing the cost and time required to prep hot work sites.

Portable Lifting Manipulator for Shipboard Environment (completed)
This effort attempted to reduce healthcare/workers’ comp costs by minimizing the risks associated with lifting while providing a more efficient method for installing heavy ship components. The goal of this project was to design a portable or semi-portable, mechanical lifting device that would have the capability of lifting and positioning steel pipe, ventilation and other ship components in a shipboard environment. This equipment would replace manual lifting of heavy ship components and the labor intensive use of temporary lifting pads and chain falls, as well as significantly reduce ergonomic-related injuries. Although the Prototype Lift Device did meet the majority of the design criteria, it fell significantly short on meeting the 40 lbs per collapsed/folded section. It was determined that a technical solution could not be derived to allow for the adoption of this prototype device by the shipboard workers.

The Final Report provides details and is available to U.S. shipyards only. Click here to request a copy. Please provide your company name, complete mailing address and phone number.

Spanish Translation of OSHA Examining Fatal Shipyard Accidents
This project translated the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) interactive video series (Volumes I and II) entitled “Fatal Shipyard Accidents: Hazards and Solutions” into Spanish. The videos use computer animation to showcase types of shipyard fatalities and the reasons why these accidents happen and how to prevent those fatalities from happening in the future. These videos are helping shipyard safety professionals effectively communicate safety hazards to Spanish-speaking employees. Safety professionals are able to supplement their safety meetings and training courses with greater effectiveness and contribute to the ultimate goal of eliminating unsafe work practices in shipyards. DVDs are available for public release. Please click here to request the DVD or video cassette

Hexavalent Chromium Exposure Survey (completed)
In response to an expanded health standard for workplace exposure to hexavalent chromium released by OSHA in February 2006, this project focused on development of industry-wide guidance for monitoring and controlling Hexavalent Chromium exposure in order to promote a practical and well-directed compliance effort. . The documented outcome of this effort should be used to promote a consistent understanding within the industry of the proper and effective control methods to protect the health of shipyard employees, contractors and visitors. Smaller shipyards and organizations with limited industrial hygiene resources can use this information to characterize and control exposures by activity recognizing that larger shipyards and organizations may have conducted a more thorough analysis and have better characterized and controlled CrVI exposures in their operations.

Analysis of OSHA's Proposed Revised Standard for Hexavalent Chromium and Underlying Risk and Feasibility Assessments (completed)
The objective of this project was to provide the shipbuilding and repair industry a thorough understanding of the impact the proposed standard for hexavalent chromium will have upon private and public shipyards and to provide the industry with a sound basis to submit comments during the notice and comment rulemaking process. Compliance with the revised rule is anticipated to have a significant impact on the private and public shipbuilding and repair industry. This analysis assisted NSRP members and other shipbuilding and repair organizations with submitting comments to OSHA that were due January 3, 2005. The analysis of OSHA's risk assessment provides industry with a basis to determine the strengths and weaknesses of the health effects data and, correspondingly, the level at which a permissible exposure limit (PEL) must be established to adequately protect the health of the shipyard employees exposed to hexavalent chromium. The Final Report is available to U.S. shipyards only. Click here to request a copy. Please provide your complete name, complete mailing address and phone number.

Tagout Program Matrix (completed)
This project documents and evaluates the effectiveness of existing shipyard hazardous energy control programs and describes the fundamental elements of an effective program. In addition to serving as an aid to shipyards to enhance their hazardous energy control programs, the project will help the shipbuilding and repair industry to respond to OSHA's planned standard (expected Dec. 2004) on maritime hazardous energy control, frequently referred to as tagout or lockout/tagout. This standard could have a significant impact on the current methods for work control and hazardous energy control in shipbuilding and repair, particularly if it attempts to impose a "one size fits all approach" to ship and boat yards of all types, complexity, and size. This project involved the documentation of current practices through the development of a matrix of current hazardous energy control program elements used in the seven participating shipyards. Information from a wider sector of the shipbuilding industry was obtained where possible through interfaces with various labor and trade associations. Each element in the matrix was evaluated based on its importance in preventing hazardous energy control-related failures. The Final Report is available to U.S. shipyards only. Click here to request a copy. Please provide your company name, complete mailing address and phone number.

Ergonomic Practices and Application (completed)
This effort documented ergonomic practices and applications at the eight participating shipyards and provided an analysis and recommendation on what is appropriate in order to achieve reduction of ergonomic related injuries. This is done primarily through many color photographs, drawings and short examples. The final report is organized by the following categories: Training and Awareness; Warehousing and Distribution; Job Site Material Handling; Lines, Leads, Hose and Tubes; Workbenches/Shops; Panels/Decks; Under the Hull; Working in the Overhead; Working in Tanks; Other Activities. This project also positioned shipyards with a recommendation and response to OSHA's proposed Ergonomic Guideline for Shipyards. The final Shipyard Evaluation for Ergonomic Practices and Applications report is available to U.S. shipyards only. Click here to request a copy. Please provide your company name, complete mailing address and phone number.

Feasibility Study for Dual-Use and Multiple Ship Type Facilities(completed)
This study investigated the feasibility, from the facilities aspect, of successfully implementing the concept of dual-use or multiple ship-type shipyards in the U.S. A “dual-use” shipyard is defined for this study as one that builds both commercial and military or government ships concurrently using the same workforce. A “multiple ship-type” yard is one that builds several different types of ships (commercial or military) using the same work force. A multiple ship-type yard can also be classified as dual-use if the product mix includes military or government work. The study report provides an excellent background for considering Dual Use or Multiple Ship Type construction, including a listing of references to be reviewed and a Database of Ships-on-Order. The database shows ship construction by country, shipyard and type of ship.

Incident Data Sharing (IDS) Network (completed)
In an effort to reduce the occurrence of hazardous conditions and unsafe practices throughout the shipbuilding industry, the Safety/Health Action Committee (SHAC) spearheaded the development and launching of a new low maintenance, limited-access information sharing website. This site allows authorized shipyard users to anonymously upload and share reports detailing instances of near-misses or actual accidents resulting in equipment damage and/or personnel injury without attribution to the people or shipyard involved. This information-sharing focuses on safety procedures and is intended to allow shipyards to learn from one another on industry best practices and lessons learned. Reports are presented in a standard format that may also include photos. Some reports also include 8-1/2" X 11" mini-posters that can be downloaded, printed and displayed as safety reminders in the yards. While the main page conveniently lists all the reports grouped by category in one place for general browsing, the database itself is easily searchable by report number, keyword or category. Report categories include incidents related to housekeeping, fire prevention, hot work, confined spaces, electrical, slips/trips/falls, ergonomics, equipment operations, material handling, personal protection equipment and lock out/tag out. In addition to submitting reports on new incidents, users can also anonymously comment on reports previously submitted to the network.

Any shipyard interested in participating, should have their Manger/Director for Health and Safety contact the NSRP Program Office for more information.
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Best Practices Guide for Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention -
(completed)
In an effort to reduce slip, trip and fall injuries, associated workers' compensation costs, and other lost time and production impacts, industry leaders from four shipyards teamed to develop a Best Practices Guide for Slips, Trips and Falls Prevention. This guide provides information on the:

Organized by falls from various locations and conditions (i.e. stairs, ladders, slippery surface) specific accident types and examples of best practices either currently being used or being studied at various shipyards are provided. The Final Report is available to U.S. shipyards only. Click here to request a copy. Please provide your company name, complete mailing address and phone number.