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Hild, CarlHazardous Materials on Board. Second Edition. MarineAdvisory Bulletin No. 43.Alaska Univ., Fairbanks. Alaska Sea Grant Program.National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration(DOC), Rockville, Md. National Sea Grant Program.ISBN-1-56612-046-297NA90AA-D-SG06645p.

Alaska Sea Grant College Program, University ofAlaska Fairbanks, P.O. Box 755040, Fairbanks, AK99775-5040 (no. MAB-43, $6).Guides General (050)

MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.Adult Education; Asbestos; *Boat Operators;Environmental Influences; Environmental Standards;*Hazardous Materials; Labor Standards; *OccupationalSafety and Health; Physical Health; *Safety; SafetyEducation; Sailing; Seafarers; Wastes; WorkEnvironment*Protective Clothing

Intended for boat captains, this illustrated bookdescribes hazards, activities at risk, precautions to take, andprocedures for spills. The inside front and back covers providegeneral rules for treatment of poisonings and emergency phonenumbers. Chapter 1 focuses on recognizing the risk and causes ofshipboard hazards and describes hazardous materials.-Chapter 2provides this information on common hazardous materials: where it isfound, activities at risk, early signs of exposure, long-term healtheffects, how to protect oneself, and special precautions. Thesematerials are included: asbestos; chromates, chrome, chromium;cleaners; epoxy resins; fiberglass, glass wool; fire extinguishers;gases; glues, sealants, pipe dope; isocyanates; paint solvents andpigments, primer, coating, antifouling paints and compounds,urethane; polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs); nonionizing radiation;refrigerants; silica; solvents, degreasers, metal cleaners; welding,soldering, brazing, burning, and cutting fumes and materials; andwood preservatives. Chapter 3 focuses on confined spaces, includingtesting, ventilating, personal protective equipment, and preparationfor confined space entry. Chapter 4 describes personal protectiveequipment: respirators, gloves, protective clothing, hearingprotection, and eye wear. Chapter 5 discusses procedures forhazardous spills on board. Chapter 6 considers labels and laws.Chapter 7 provides instruction on how to interpret a material safetysheet. Contains references for print and organizational resources.(YLB)

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BEST COPY AVAILABLE

PoisoningsGeneral Rules for Treatment

Call Poison Control Number before treatment!

Don't be a victim yourself! The only thing worse thanone hazardous materials victim is two (or more). Call forprofessional help if there is a possibility you will getcontaminated by rescuing someone.

Every person ill from exposure to hazardous materialsneeds to have their Airway, Breathing, and Circula-tion monitored. If the victim is unconscious, transport onleft side.

Enroll in First Aid courses and stay current in skills!

Poison Control Numbers:

Anchorage (907) 261-3193Poison Control Center (24 hrs)

Outside Anchorage (800) 478-3193Call before treatment!

Seattle (206) 526-2121Seattle Poison Center, Children's Hospital

1. Inhaled poisons (through lungs)A. Get victim out of the exposed environment if it is safe to do so.B. Administer oxygen if available.C. Transport victim as soon as possible.

2. Absorbed poisons (through skin)A. Remove all contaminated clothing, including underwear and jewelry (wear protective gloves,

etc., yourself).B. Wash area with soap and water (exception: dry lime).C. Administer oxygen if available.D. Transport.

3. Ingested poisons (through swallowing)A. Get history: what was ingested, when, and how much.B. No induced vomiting in victims who:

Are unconscious, in a stupor, or having a seizure. Lay person on left side and transport.Have ingested acids, corrosives, or petroleum products. If victim is conscious, give severalglasses of water or milk (never give anything by mouth if victim is unconscious).

C. If induced vomiting is indicated:Give two glasses of water followed by two teaspoons of syrup of ipecac.If no vomiting after 20 minutes, repeat dosage once only!After vomiting ceases, have victim drink two glasses of water with three tablespoons ofactivated charcoal in suspension.

D. Call Poison Control Number or doctor for follow up. Provide the RTECS (Registry of ToxicEffects of Chemical Substances) number if known, as well as the material that was swallowed.

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HazardousMaterialson Board

Carl Hild

Alaska Sea Grant College ProgramUniversity of Alaska Fairbanks

P.O. Box 755040Fairbanks, Alaska 99775-5040

Phone (907) 474-6707 Fax (907) 474-6285http://www.uatalaska.edu/seagrant/

MAB-43Second Edition, 1997

Price: $6.00

4

Elmer E. Rasmuson Library Cataloging-in-Publication Data.

Hild, Carl M.Hazardous materials on board.

(MAB-43)

1. Hazardous substances. 2. ChemicalsSafetymeasures. 3. ShipsSafety regulations. I. Alaska Sea GrantCollege Program. II. Alaska Sea Grant Marine AdvisoryProgram. III. Title. IV. Series: Marine advisory bulletin ; 43.

T55.3.H3H55 1991

Second Edition, 1997

ISBN 1-56612-046-2

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This manual was produced by the Alaska Sea Grant CollegeProgram, which is cooperatively supported by the U.S. Depart-ment of Commerce, NOAA Office of Sea Grant, under grantnumber NA90AA-D-SG066, project numbers A/71-01 and A/75-01; and by the University of Alaska with funds appropriated bythe state. The University of Alaska is an affirmative action/equalopportunity employer and educational institution.

Cover design is by Dixon Jones; boat graphic created fromphoto by Kurt Byers. Figures on page 20 are by KarenLundquist; figures on pages 11, 13, 17, and 20 are by BruceMorser; editing, text formatting, and figures on pages 10 and 28are by Lisa Sporleder; and final editing is by Sue Keller. Correc-tions for second edition are by Carol Kaynor.

II

1.1,11 1 tw 1 1 1e

Poisonings: General Rules for Treatment Inside front cover

Emergency Phone Numbers Inside back cover

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction to Hazardous Materials 1

Recognize the Risk 1

Causes of Shipboard Hazards 1

Hazardous Materials 2

Chapter 2. Common Hazardous Materials 3Asbestos 3Chromates, Chrome, Chromium 3Cleaners 4Epoxy Resins 4Fiberglass, Glass Wool 4Fire Extinguishers 5Gas: Carbon Monoxide 5Gas: Flammable 6Gas: Hydrogen 6Gas: Hydrogen Sulfide, Methane 7Gas: Nitrogen Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide 7Glues, Sealants, Pipe Dope 8Isocyanates 8Paint Solvents and Pigments, Primer, Coating, Antifouling Paints

and Compounds, Urethane 8PCBs 9Nonionizing Radiation 10Refrigerants 11Silica 12Solvents, Degreasers, Metal Cleaners 12Welding, Soldering, Brazing, Burning, and Cutting Fumes

and Materials 12Wood Preservatives 14

Chapter 3. Confined Spaces 15Testing 15Ventilating 16Personal Protective Equipment 16Have a Plan and a Buddy 17Prepare for Your Confined Space Entry 18

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Chapter 4. Personal Protective Equipment 19

The Captain Provides the Equipment 19

Respirators 19

Limitations of Respirators 19

Respirators Used in Alaska 20Respirator Program Requirements 21

Cartridge or Canister Code for Air Purifying Respirators 22Inspection Checklist for Air Purifying Respirators 22Respirator Fit Testing 22Air Purifying Respirator Field Test 22

Gloves 23Protective Clothing 24Hearing Protection 24

Eye Wear 25

Chapter 5. Hazardous Spills on Board 26Controlling Hazardous Materials 26When You Have a Spill 26Effects on the Local Environment 27Captain and Crew as a Team 27

Chapter 6. Labels and Laws 28

Labels 28Crew Rights and Responsibilities 29Captains' Rights and Responsibilities 29

Chapter 7. References 30Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) 30Further Reading 32

Call for More Information 33

7

This book was preparedby Carl Hild of the AlaskaHealth Project under a con-tract from the Alaska SeaGrant Marine Advisory Pro-gram, University of AlaskaFairbanks. It was revisedwith the assistance of BobSpencer, Mike Oden, RonMiller, and Bill Krause ofRisk Management, Univer-sity of Alaska Fairbanks.The information will behelpful to anyone whoworks around vessels, es-

pecially in Alaska waters.The material contained inthis manual is timely as ofJanuary 1997. Resourcesand laws will change intime.

This book is not intendedto be the final word on thesafety of hazardous materi-als at sea. The recommen-dations given here aregeneral and may not holdin every situation due to theunique circumstances sur-rounding each incident.

Any specific questions orconcerns should be re-ferred to one of the contactagencies listed in Chapter7, References, for a de-tailed response.

Thanks to the Universityof Alaska Sea Grant Col-lege Program, the MarineAdvisory Program, theNorth Pacific Fishing Ves-sel Owners' Association,and Hank Pennington,Jerry Dzugan, and CarlReller for their support,

Good Fishing and Smooth Seas!

8

comments, and ideas.Thanks also go to the NorthPacific Fishing VesselOwners' Association forgiving permission to usegraphics from their VesselSafety Manual. This book isa good companion to theVessel Safety Manual.

Throughout this bookmale pronouns have beenused; they are intended toapply to both males and fe-males.

THE AUTHOR

Carl Hild has authored several published articles on working in acold environment and traditional Inuit survival. Hild is the recipi-ent of the 1990 Alaska Public Health Association Long TermService Award, and has served as president of the AmericanSociety for Circumpolar Health. He was employed by the AlaskaHealth Project at the time this book was written.

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A ship in the harbor issafe, but ships are not builtto stay in the harbor. Haz-ardous materials that arenot used are safe, but thematerials are made to beused for specific purposes.They have been chemicallydeveloped to remove paint,act like putty and hardenlike steel while under water,

Recognize theRiskor do whatever job theyhave been designed to do.However, the benefit ofhaving these wonderful ma-terials is not without a cost.

All ships require mainte-nance to get you from onepoint to another. If youhave a vessel, then youneed to take care of it. Thelast ship to make great

claims on its abilities wasthe Titanic. That "unsink-able" ship sank on itsmaiden voyage. Likewise,all hazardous materials re-quire caution and specialhandling. If you use haz-ardous materials, then youneed to use them as in-structed. Seamen have hada tradition of keeping their

vessels "shipshape." Makesure the condition of yourship lives up to your claims,and that your care in han-dling hazardous materialsis equally conscientious.

Using hazardous materi-als properly will prolongyour life.

Fishermen encounterproblems that result inmany shipboard hazards:

Spaces are confined.Severe weather conditionskeep crews enclosed andforce work to be done inconfined spaces with littleor no natural ventilation.Improper ventilation canworsen exposures to dan-gerous fumes and vapors.

Professional medicalcare is not accessible.Working at sea means thatcrews do not have quickaccess to medical attentionin emergencies. Health andsafety resources are limited

Causes ofShipboardHazardson board, and additionalmedical care is far awayand hard to reach.

Engine poses dan-gers. Working on vesselsmeans constant exposureto the exhaust, fuel, andnoise of a running dieselengine.

Toxic gases are al-ways on board. Workingon a fishing vessel meansexposure to dead and dy-ing fish, as well as refrig-eration systems that con-tain toxic gases.

Movement on a boatis dangerous. Working ona vessel means working on

a moving surface, usingnarrow and steep stair-ways, working close toopen holds, and workingnear multiple open decklevels. All surfaces may beslick from water, ice, petro-leum, or fish slime.

Fatigue brings on ac-cidents. Short seasonsmean that work is rushed.Fatigue and stress, broughton by long working hours,make workers more sus-ceptible to injury.

Predicting crew be-havior is difficult. Highturnovers in crews meanare often unfamiliar with the

10

vessel's resources andother crew members' abili-ties.

Working with unfa-miliar materials is dan-gerous. Long off-seasonsoften mean the crew is keptbusy repairing the vessel.They may not be well pre-pared to work with new ma-terials, or trained in propersafety precautions.

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Much of the work doneon board vessels today re-quires the use of hazard-ous materials. Materials areconsidered hazardous ifthey are:

Ignitable (catch fire).Examples are paint wastes,degreasers, and fuels withflash points under 140°F.

Corrosive (burn oncontact). Examples areacids or alkalines.

Reactive (explode orrelease dangerous fumes).Examples are oxidizers andsome metal cleaners.

Toxic (poisonous). Ex-amples are cadmium, lead,and pesticides.

When a captain givespermission for hazardous

2

HazardousMaterialsmaterials to come on board,he may allow unseen prob-lems to come on boardalso. Hazardous materialsare a bit like fire on board avessel. Fire is very helpfulto cook a meal or to burn offold paint, when it is undercontrol and properly venti-lated. Fire out of control isdangerous and deadly.

Hazardous materials arevery helpful to clean or re-pair, when they are undercontrol and properly venti-lated. Hazardous materialsout of control are danger-ous and deadly. Like fire,the key is to keep hazard-ous materials under control.

Unseen dangers are theones most likely to catch

you unaware. Gale forcewinds compel you to takespecific actions at sea. Butan exhaust manifold leak-ing carbon monoxide couldbe more deadly than thegale.

Several fishermen havedied when they encoun-tered unseen dangersthey entered "empty" fishholds that were filled withinvisible and deadly gases.It is important to be awareof such problems and re-duce shipboard hazards, toinsure the health and safetyof the crew.

Numerous hazardousmaterials can be found onboard vessels and ashore.Examples are cleaning ma-

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terials, strippers and paints,welding gases, fuels andexhaust, and gases givenoff by dead fish. All must becontrolled or used properlyto avoid harm. Hazardousmaterials must be kept inline.

Chapter 2, CommonHazardous Materials, is abrief description of themore common hazardousmaterials found on vessels.They are listed alphabeti-cally for easy reference.Review them, and then re-fer to the other chapters foradditional information ondealing with these hazard-ous materials on board.

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The captain is the leader of the fishing crew, and he is re-sponsible for the way hazardous materials will be handled

on his vessel. He gives the permission to bring them onboard, and must give the guidance on how they are used.

Fibrous, flame resistantmaterial; brown, gray orwhite; needle-shaped fi-bers.

Where Is It Found? As-bestos was widely used inbuilding materials and ship-board construction, espe-cially prior to the 1970s. Itwas commonly used insprayed or trowelled-onfireproofing, lagging aroundboilers and pipes, fireproofmats and clothing, and in-sulation. Microscopic fiberscan be carried on air cur-rents, especially from dam-aged, old, dry asbestosmaterial that has been cov-ered, taped, or painted.

Activities at RiskPlumbing, engine room

Asbestoswork, working around as-bestos materials.

Early Signs of Expo-sureThere are no immedi-ate nor early signs ofexposure to asbestos.Years after exposure,shortness of breath, drycough, and upper chestand back pain may be thefirst signs that an asbestos-related disease hasdeveloped.

Long-Term HealthEffectsAsbestos-relateddiseases often do not ap-pear for 10 to 40 years afterthe exposure. Cancers oc-cur in the lung, stomach,and rectum, as well as inthe linings of the lung,chest, and stomach. Asbes-

tosis, an irreversible lungdisease, is fatal.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Avoid exposure toasbestos. Asbestos-freematerials should be used. Ifpossible, moisten asbestosmaterials while workingwith them. If asbestos-containing materials aresanded, cut, drilled, or re-moved, adequate respira-tors (especially air-suppliedtypes) should be used (seeChapter 4, Personal Pro-tective Equipment). Neverdry-sweep asbestos or anymaterial that might containasbestos.

Special PrecautionsNever take or wear workclothes home or wash them

at home if they might haveasbestos fibers on them.Wives and children of ship-yard workers have becomesick from asbestos broughthome on work clothes.There is no safe level ofexposure to asbestos. Alltypes of asbestos (white,brown, and blue) can causecancer and asbestosis.Smoking greatly in-creases the risk of lungcancer if you work withasbestos. Contact a localresource for help if you be-lieve you are workingaround asbestos (seeChapter 7, References).

Where Are They Found?Paints, chrome-plated met-als, stainless steel.

Activities at RiskPaint-ing, welding, sheet metalwork, any contact withchromates, chrome, orchromium.

Chromates,Chrome,Chromium

Early Signs of Expo-sureSkin irritation, burningor itching eyes and nose,coughing, headache, fever.

Long-Term HealthEffectsSkin rashes, skinand nose ulcers; certain

forms of chromates cancause lung cancer.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Wear protectiveclothing and correct respi-rator (see Chapter 4, Per-sonal Protective

Equipment). Paint or weldin well-ventilated areas.Use chromate-free prod-ucts when possible. Readthe hazard descriptions forPaint and Welding in thischapter.

12 3

Chlorinated solvents,phenols, ammonia, basecompounds, etc.

Where Are TheyFound? Anywhere onboard, especially in the gal-ley, head, engine room,and fish processing areas.

Activities at RiskCleaning.

Early Signs of Expo-sureRead the labels of allcleaners to find the direc-tions, precautions, warn-ings, signs of exposure,and medical treatments incase of misuse. Labels varyfrom product to product soread each carefully.

CleanersLong-Term Health

EffectsEffects depend onthe material and exposurelevel. Some people become"sensitized" to specificchemicals that are in com-mon cleaners. When thebody becomes very reac-tive to a chemical, it hasbecome sensitized. An indi-vidual may develop rashesor illness from the contact.He then can become sosensitive to a chemical thata slight exposure to itagain, even much later inlife, will make him sick.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Read the labeland follow the instructions.Read the product's MaterialSafety Data Sheet (MSDS)

(See Chapter 7, Refer-ences, for informationabout the MSDS.) Wear theappropriate personal pro-tective equipment.

Special PrecautionsBeextremely careful withbleach and ammonia!These two are good clean-ers alone, but if they aremixed they will form poison-ous gas. Do not mixbleach and ammonia!

Chlorine solutions mustbe rinsed thoroughly withwater. Bactericideschlo-rine bleach with sodium hy-pochlorite or quaternaryammoniumneed specialcare.

Guidelines are stated inthe List of Chemical Corn-

pounds Authorized for UseUnder USDA Poultry, Meat,Rabbit, and Egg ProductsInspection Programs by theU.S. Department of Agricul-ture. Also a useful guide,the List of Proprietary Sub-stances and Nonfood Com-pounds Authorized for Useunder USDA Inspectionand Grading Programs isavailable for $25.00 with aone-year subscription fromthe U.S. Government Print-ing Office (see Chapter 7,References).

If solutions are chlori-nated with chlorine gasfrom cylinders, appropriatecare must be given the highpressure containers. Chlo-rine gas is extremely poi-sonous!

Where Are They found?Paints, primers, surfacecoatings, and some glues.

Activities at RiskElec-trical work, painting, shipbuilding and repair.

Epoxy Resins

Early Signs of Expo-sureSkin irritation, itchingand redness, eye irritation,coughing.

Long-Term HealthEffectsCan sensitize theskin and lungs. Once youare sensitized, almost any

exposure can cause a skinrash or make breathing dif-ficult.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Wear proper pro-tective clothing and gloves,and correct respirator (seeChapter 4, Personal Pro-

tective Equipment). Work inwell-ventilated areas.

Special PrecautionsInitial exposures must becontrolled to prevent sensi-tization.

Where Are TheyFound? Insulation, weath-erproofing, and patchingmaterials.

Activities at RiskPlumbing, carpentry, sheetmetal work, fiberglass re-pair, any close contact withfiberglass or glass wool.

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Fiberglass,Glass Wool

Early Signs of Expo-sureItching, skin rashes,coughing, irritated throat.

Long-Term HealthEffectsSome workers de-velop allergic skin reac-tions, especially whenworking in hot, humidweather. Some cases of

lung damage have oc-curred after years of expo-sure.

How Can I ProtectMyself? Wear gloves andclothing to protect the skin.Use protective creams orpowders on hands, neck, orany exposed skin. Tape

13

gloves to coveralls to cre-ate a seal; likewise sealany neck opening or wear ascarf. Use disposable cov-eralls. Cut or mix fiberglassoutside or in a well-venti-lated area. Wear an ap-proved dust respirator (seeChapter 4, Personal Pro-tective Equipment).

Carbon dioxide, halon,powder.

Where Are TheyFound? All vessels anddock areas are required tohave fire extinguishers, andevery crew member shouldknow where they are andhow to use them.

Activities at RiskFirefighting, especially in en-gine rooms with automatedextinguishing systems;training; refilling; workingbelow decks when there isa fire above.

Early Signs of Expo-sureBe careful when ex-tinguishers are in use! Mostof the hazardous gases ex-pelled are heavier than air

FireExtinguishersand will stay on deck andflow down to lower decks.These gases can causecoughing, dizziness, intoxi-cation or a "high" feeling,headache, nausea, rapidheartbeat, and eye andlung irritation, any of whichmay also be the result ofthe fire and/or fumes.

Long-Term HealthEffectsCan be fatal.Breathing halon (a gasused in some extinguish-ers) in very rare cases cancause people to havestrange fits of laughter orfrantic behavior, followedby heart attack and death.Lung irritation and respira-tory problems have alsobeen reported.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Know the type ofextinguisher you have, andhow to use it safely. Keepcarbon dioxide jet awayfrom skin as it can causefreezing burns. Do not in-hale any gas from an extin-guisher. Halon typescontain bromochloro-difluoromethane (BCF).They produce gases that,under heated conditions,combine with water vapor toform hydrobromic and hy-drofluoric acids, which aretoxic as well as corrosive.

Special PrecautionsBecause these gases areheavy and flow downward,they will send gases flowingdown into the lower parts of

the vessel if they are usedon an upper deck. Beaware of this in case of fireon board. Get those crewmembers out from belowdecks and away from thefumes that will collect in thehull. Ventilate well beforereentering, especially thelower areas of the vessel,even if they were not closeto the fire.

Halon-type extinguishersin engine rooms may re-lease acid-forming gasesthat go throughout theroom and engine, and mayexit as exhaust. Clean upall dry powder, foam, andliquid immediately, as it willmar surfaces. Use extremecaution with fire and fire ex-tinguishers.

Colorless, odorless. In con-centrations ranging from12.5% lower explosive limit(LEL) to 74% upper explo-sive limit (UEL) carbonmonoxide is explosive.

Where Is It Found?Carbon monoxide (CO) is aby-product of combustionfrom smoking, gasoline anddiesel engines, gas stovesand heaters, torpedo orsalamander heaters andkerosene burners, weldingand soldering, and paintremoval by burning. CO ismost common in confinedspaces with poor ventila-tion..

Gas: CarbonMonoxide

Activities at RiskEquipment operation,plumbing, cooking, sheetmetal work, paint removal,working inside visquenebubbles or plastic tarpau-lins, working inside con-fined spaces with limitedventilation.

Early Signs of Expo-sureHeadache, dizziness,nausea, sleepiness, andcherry red cheeks, lips, andfingernails are signs of se-vere poisoning.

Long-Term HealthEffectsBrain damage ordeath can occur from highconcentrations of carbonmonoxide because it re-

places oxygen in the blood.The blood's hemoglobinhas 250 times the affinityfor carbon monoxide as itdoes for oxygen. Long-term, low exposure maycontribute to heart disease.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Torpedo or sala-mander heaters should bevented to the outside.Visquene bubbles for workprotection should not besealed tightly. Galley areasand engine rooms shouldbe well ventilated. Enginesshould be kept tuned andexhaust systems tight. Car-bon monoxide levelsshould be tested regularlyby using air quality moni-

BEST COPY AVAILABLE 14

tors (see Chapter 3, Con-fined Spaces). See Weld-ing in this chapter forsuggestions for weldingand soldering.

Special PrecautionsWorkers with chronic heartor lung disease may bemore sensitive to the ef-fects of carbon monoxide.Exposure to methylenechloride, a common sol-vent, can increase the ef-fects because your bodyconverts this solvent to car-bon monoxide. Burning offpaint may yield noxious ortoxic fumes that includelead or other heavy metals,as well as carbonmonoxide.

5

Common Hazardous Materials

Fuel vapors, methane, pro-pane, LPG (liquid propanegas), LNG (liquid naturalgas).

Where Are TheyFound? Usually near fuelsources, galley, engineroom, drums, transfertanks, or tenders. If its va-por density is greater thanair, gas may settle in lowplaces.

Activities at RiskEngine room work, cooking,refueling, fuel transferring,all crew working on boardnear fuels.

Early Signs of Expo-sureSmell of gas or fuel,dizziness, light-headed-ness, nausea, headache,blurred vision, eye and

Gas: Flammablethroat irritation, uncon-sciousness, central nervoussystem depression.

Long-Term HealthEffectsIntoxication, head-aches, asphyxiation, deathat high concentration. Ex-plosions of these gases willresult in burns and a varietyof traumatic injuries, andwill yield other fumes andnoxious gases.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Report the firstsmells of fuel immediately.Do not smoke in the area.Ventilate and be preparedfor a fire. Do not use electri-cal switches if you smellgas.

Explosive RangesEx-plosive ranges are typically

measured in percent con-centration in air (1% equals10,000 parts per million).

LEL (lower explosivelimit) conditions are similarto an engine whose carbu-retor is set too lean. Thereis not a high enough con-centration of gas present toexplode to drive the piston.UEL (upper explosive limit)conditions are similar to anengine that is flooded.There is too much fuelpresent to explode.

Risk of fire/explosion oc-curs when the gas ispresent in concentrationsbetween the lower and up-per explosive limits. If gasis present in concentrationsgreater than the upper ex-plosive limit, great dangerexists in bringing conditionsback to normal through

ventilation or other means,because the level of con-centration will pass throughthe LEL/UEL explosiveranges as it is diluted.

Special PrecautionsVentilate until the flam-mable gas level is less thanor equal to 10% of thelower explosive limit beforeentering (see Chapter 3,Confined Spaces). Fuelvapors, methane, andpropane gases are explo-sivethey are bombswaiting for you to makethe mistake of settingthem off. Use extremecaution!

Colorless, highly flam-mable, odorless.

Where Is It Found? Hy-drogen (H2) is found wher-ever lead-acid batteries arecharged or hydrogen gascylinders are used orstored.

Activities at RiskEn-gine room work.

Early Signs of Expo-surePractically none, ex-

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Gas: Hydrogen

cept that it is explosive. Oc-casionally there will be anacid odor from the bubblesof an overcharged battery.

Long-Term HealthEffectsPractically nonefrom inhalation; burns andtrauma from the explosion.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Keep all sourcesof ignition, including electri-cal sparks, away from re-charging lead-acid batteries

or hydrogen cylinders.Catalytic battery caps canbe purchased that will com-bine the oxygen in the airwith the hydrogen from thebattery to form water.

Special PrecautionsHydrogen is lighter than airand will rise to the top ofthe compartment. Assureadequate ventilation tokeep the gas from buildingup. Keep all electricalswitches or equipment that

15

may spark away from thearea. Be extremely carefulwith metal tools or wiresaround battery terminals.Make sure gas cylindersare completely off andproperly secured.

Hydrogen sulfide is color-less, flammable, with arotten egg smell that seemsto go away in time.Methane is colorless, flam-mable, odorless.

Where Are TheyFound? Decomposition offish or any seafood pro-duces hydrogen sulfide(H2S) and methane (CH4).These gases collect in thehold, with the methane ris-ing and the hydrogen sul-fide sinking. Hydrogensulfide is nearly as toxic asthe hydrogen cyanide usedin gas chambers. Dirtybilges of vessels in long-

Gas: HydrogenSulfide, Methaneterm storage can also pro-duce these gases.

Activities at RiskHoldwork, vessel salvage.

Early Signs of Expo-sureRotten egg odor thatwill seem to go away intime as it numbs yoursense of smell, difficultybreathing, and uncon-sciousness. This all hap-pens relatively quickly(within a few breaths athigh concentrations).

Long-Term HealthEffectsContinued uncon-sciousness, respiratory de-

pression, and death withina few minutes at high con-centrations after only oneor two breaths.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Prevention isthrough good housekeep-ing and sanitation proce-dures. Test all holds foroxygen, hydrogen sulfide,and combustible gas levelsbefore entering (see Chap-ter 3, Confined Spaces).The air must contain 19.5%oxygen or more to sustainlife; however, this does notmean that the level of hy-drogen sulfide is safe. Usea lifeline with a buddy sys-

tem when entering a holdor confined space. Use anoutside air source breathingapparatus if the hold aircontent is unknown and notexplosive.

Special PrecautionsPre-icing or cooling holdswhere fish will be held, aswell as cleaning holds witha chlorine solution, will helpreduce the formation of hy-drogen sulfide and meth-ane.

Nitrogen dioxide is brown,nonflammable, with a pun-gent odor. Sulfur dioxide iscolorless, nonflammable,with a strong suffocatingodor.

Where Are TheyFound? Both nitrogen diox-ide (NO2) and sulfur dioxide(SO2) are components ofengine exhaust. Sulfur di-oxide is also found whentoo much sodium bisulfite isput on shrimp to preventblackspot. Use appropriate

Gas: NitrogenDioxide, SulfurDioxideamounts and handle thischemical with care.

Activities at RiskEn-gine room work, workingnear the exhaust of en-gines.

Early Signs of Expo-sureSevere irritation ofskin, eyes, and lungs caus-ing coughing, choking, andrespiratory arrest.

Long-Term HealthEffectsWith water vapor,

these gases make nitricacid and sulfuric acid thatcan be inhaled and dam-age the throat and lungs.Effects include tightness inthe chest, pneumonia, lungdamage, decreased resis-tance to infections, andpossibly symptoms similarto chronic bronchitis.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Do not enter infre-quently used compartmentsuntil the air has been testedor you are wearing an ap-

16

propriate respirator (seeChapter 4, Personal Pro-tective Equipment). Makesure engine rooms are wellventilated, that the exhaustsystems are tight, and anair quality monitor is inplace.

Special PrecautionsBeextremely cautious in allconfined spaces (seeChapter 3).

7

Where Are TheyFound? Roofing and deck-ing systems, ABS and PVCpipe systems.

Activities at RiskPlumbing, shipboard repair.

Early Signs of Expo-sureSkin, eye, and noseirritation, feeling "high."

Glues, Sealants,Pipe DopeHeaters have causedfumes to ignite in poorlyventilated areas, causingburns.

Long-Term HealthEffectsEffects depend onthe product. Many cancause skin rashes and sen-sitization of skin that will re-act with future contact.

Some components maycause kidney and liverdamage. Many are flam-mable and can causeburns.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Use the AlaskaRight to Know Law (seeChapter 6, Labels andLaws) to find out what is in

the product. Read theMSDS. Wear protectiveclothing and gloves, and arespirator if you need one.Use only in well-ventilatedareas.

Special PrecautionsBeextremely cautious in con-fined spaces (see Chapter3).

Polyurethane, TDI (2,4,toluene diisocyanate), MDI(methane diphenyl diiso-cyanate), HDI (hexa-methylene diisocyanate).

Where Are TheyFound? Paints, polyure-thane foams, roofing anddecking systems, glues.

Activities at RiskElectrical work, painting,

Isocyanatesplumbing, working with iso-cyanate-containing materi-als such as foam insulationsystems or paints.

Early Signs of Expo-sureSkin reddening andrash, eye irritation,coughing.

Long-Term HealthEffectsMay sensitizesome workers so that even

very low exposures cancause severe skin rashesor breathing difficulty. Theworker will not be able tofunction at all around thematerial after becomingsensitized.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Wear clothing toprotect skin. If possiblesubstitute products that donot contain isocyanates.

Wear appropriate, air sup-plied respirator (see Chap-ter 4, Personal ProtectiveEquipment).

Special Precautions Itis vital to prevent initial ex-posures to isocyanates toavoid sensitization.

Also see isocyanates.

Where Are TheyFound? When mixing andapplying paints, and duringcleanup. Highest exposureis often during mixing andcleanup. Improper storageand subsequent damage ofcontainers may occur in

8

Paint Solventsand Pigments,Primer, Coating,AntifoulingPaints andCompounds,Urethanerough seas leading to fur-ther exposure.

Activities at RiskPaint-ing, ship building and re-pair.

Early Signs of Expo-sureEye and nose irrita-

tion, feeling "high," dizzi-ness, headache.

Long-Term HealthEffectsVary, dependingupon the components ofthe paint. Can include'skinrashes, nerve damage, ner-vous disorders, kidney and

17

liver damage, and cancer.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Find out what is inthe paint by using theAlaska Right to Know Law(see Chapter 6, Labels andLaws) to obtain and reviewthe MSDS. Work only in

well-ventilated areas. Beespecially careful in con-fined spaces. Substituteless toxic paints, such aslead-free paints. Use theEPA-approved antifoulingadditives (see note belowon antifouling paint regula-tions). Use the proper pro-tective equipment (seeChapter 4, Personal Pro-tective Equipment).

Special PrecautionsWash up before using thehead, eating, drinking, orsmoking. Solvents and pig-ments on your hands canbe swallowed when eating,

Paint Solvents,Pigments, etc.(continued)drinking, or smoking. If yousandblast, see the hazarddescription for silica. If youburn off old paint, see thehazard description for car-bon monoxide.

NOTE: Most antifoulingpaint additives contain mer-cury, copper, arsenic, or tincompounds even thoughEPA-approved antifoulingadditives are available.Antifouling paints must behandled as hazardous ma-terials, and the used equip-ment and containers mustbe handled as hazardouswastes.

Alaska Statutes46.03.020 and 46.03.715(Senate Bill 131 passed in1987) state that TBT-(tributyltin) based marineantifouling paints and coat-ings many not be orderedafter June 13, 1987; andmay not be sold or used inAlaska waters on vessels,airplane floats, barges, fish-ing gear, or any submergeditem. Any item treated be-fore December 1, 1987 withTBT-based marine antifoul-ing paints or coatings maynot be used in Alaska wa-ters after December 1,1992.

Slow leaching, TBT-based, marine antifoulingpaints may be used on alu-minum vessel hulls andlower outboard drive units.Slow leaching is defined as3 micrograms per squarecentimeter per day.

The above regulations donot apply to governmentvessels, foreign vessels instate waters less than 90consecutive days, or ves-sels greater than 4,000gross tons. Know the prod-uct well before you use it!

Polychlorinated biphenyls,chlorinated diphenyls.

Where Are TheyFound? Clear to yellow oilyliquid found in older trans-formers and fluorescentlight ballasts. The federalgovernment has bannedmost uses of PCBs today.If you think you might beworking with PCBs, find outfor sure. They are highlyhazardous materials andmust be disposed of prop-erly. Any contaminated

PCBs

equipment, clothing, or ma-terial must be dealt with asa hazardous waste. Avoidcontact.

Activities at RiskElec-trical work.

Early Signs of Expo-sureMay irritate the skin.There may be no earlysigns.

Long-Term HealthEffectsCan cause a seri-ous skin condition known

as chloracne. May causeliver damage, birth defects,and cancer.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Wear propergloves, clothing, and a faceshield or goggles whenhandling equipment con-taining PCBs. Dispose ofcontaminated clothing ashazardous waste: Do notwear or wash at home!Wash your hands thor-oughly with detergent afterworking on PCB-containing

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18

equipment, and before us-ing the head, eating, drink-ing, or smoking.

Special PrecautionsNew equipment shouldhave labels marked "noPCBs." If there is no suchlabel, assume that it con-tains PCBs and take pre-cautions. Contact theAlaska Department of La-bor, or Alaska HealthProject for more informationor assistance (see Chapter7, References).

9

NonionizingRadiation

The Electromagnetic SpectrumFrequency (Hertz, cycle per second) and Wavelength (meters)

(1 MHz)" (1,000 MHz)

103 106 109 10121015 1018

I I I

AC PowerI I

I I

Radio

1:1MicrowaveTelevision

I: I

Ultra -`violet:Infra Visible'red

1

X-Rays

3 x 10 3 x 105 3 x 10Most RF Sealersand Heaters

3 x 10-1 3 x 10-4

-4NonionizingRadiation

*1MHz = 1,000,000 Hz = 106 HzSource: NIOSH/OSHA Current Intelligence Bulletin No. 33, Dec. 4, 1979

3 x 10 -7 3 x 10-10

IonizingRadiation

Ultraviolet, infrared, laserlight, microwave, radar.

Where Are TheyFound? Ultraviolet (UV)and infrared (IR) radiationare emitted during welding,from the sun, from low-pressure mercury lamps,and from "black" lights. La-ser light is from lasers thatare used mostly for align-ment. Microwaves comefrom cooking units, elec-tronic equipment, and ra-dar. See the diagram onthis page showing radiationwavelength and frequency.

Activities at RiskSheetmetal work, welding, cook-ing, mast work, workingaround electrical or weldingequipment, exposure to thesun for long periods.

Early Signs of Expo-sureFeels warm or hot,

10

and looks like sunburn.Burning and irritation of theeyes. Sun or snow blind-ness, hives, triggers herpessimplex (cold sore), ec-zema-like skin disorders(dry scaly skin). Radar ormicrowave ovens that leakmay cause nervous andbehavioral effects or causeimplanted heart pacemak-ers to malfunction.

Long-Term HealthEffectsChronic infraredradiation exposure cancause a cataract-like disor-der, or clouding of the eyelens, called pterygium. Ul-traviolet radiation cancause a gritty feeling in theeye often called "welder'seye" or "arc flash."

Ultraviolet radiation canalso cause skin cancer.Microwaves can cause can-cer, birth defects (congeni-tal anomalies), and possibly

cataracts at high dosage.Electromagnetic field ef-fects are still unclear andhighly debated; some dataindicate that it may promotecancer and birth defects.

How Can I ProtectMyself? When working inthe sun or while weldingwear clothing to cover ex-posed skinlong-sleevedshirts and pants. Use sunscreens or zinc oxidecreams to cover frequentlyexposed and sunburnedareas like the nose, lips,ears, and neck.

Wear sunglasses withside shields. Wear tintedgoggles or face shieldswhen welding. Avoid work-ing near radar antennasunless you know the sys-tem has been turned off.Never look directly at weld-ing or laser light without ap-proved eye protection.

19

Special PrecautionsUltraviolet and infrared ra-diation from welding canaffect nearby workers. Theyshould also wear protectiveclothing and goggles. Por-table screens can some-times be set up aroundwelding operations for addi-tional protection.

Lasers should beavoided unless eye protec-tion is worn. Microwave ov-ens should be checked witha meter to assure they donot leak. Radar and radiosystems should be totallyshut down while performingrepair or maintenance workon them, their antennas, orin the immediate area ofthe antennas.

EYE WASH

KING VALVE

Refrigerants

CLEARLY MARKED EXITS

USE THE BUDDY SYSTEMTO INVESTIGATE HAZARDS

ALARM OPERABLEFROM WITHIN

SELF-CONTAINED GASTIGHT DOORSBREATHING OPERABLE FROMAPPARATUS EITHER SIDE

GAS DETECTORNO SMOKING OR OPEN FLAME

Refrigeration safety. The king valve shuts down the system and should be clearly marked. SCBAs and medical supplies should be stowedoutside the space. A gas detector enables you to pinpoint the source of a leak.

Ammonia; freon such ashalon, fluorotrichlorometh-ane, dichlorodifluorometh-ane; chlorofluorocarbons.

Where Are TheyFound? Refrigerator units,pumps, and lines that circu-late throughout the storageholds of the vessel, as wellas units on shore.

Activities at RiskHoldwork, ship building or re-pair, working near exposedrefrigeration coils.

Early Signs of Expo-sureAmmonia is quitepungent; however, contin-ued exposure desensitizesthe nose so that the gascan no longer be smelled.

Additional exposure mayburn the eyes, throat, andlungs, and lead to blind-ness, vomiting, and breath-ing difficulty. Ammonia alsohas a frost injury potential.Freon is odorless or has anether-like odor. It is irritatingand will cause dizzinessand unconsciousness.

Long-Term HealthEffectsAmmonia maycause eye damage, pro-longed throat irritation, suf-focation, and death. Freonmay cause liver damageand skin irritation. Chlo-rofluorocarbons (CFCs) arelinked to the destruction ofthe ozone in the upper at-mosphere, the layer that fil-ters out ultraviolet radiation;

therefore, an extremelylong-term effect is damageto the environment.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Know the type ofrefrigeration system onyour vessel or that you useon shore. Report anystrange smells, leaks, ormalfunctions immediately.Refrigeration systems areunder pressure; therefore,any work done on the sys-tem must be done after thesystem is discharged.

Some refrigerants areflammable and must be pro-tected from ignition. Appro-priate breathing apparatusshould be worn (Chapter 4,Personal Protective Equip-ment). Gas detection de-

20

vices should be used beforeentering a hold or areawhere there is a systemwith a problem (Chapter 3,Confined Spaces).

Special PrecautionsRefrigeration units can leakchlorofluorocarbons. CFCswill break down in the pres-ence of heat and water va-por to form hydrochloric andhydrofluoric acids and othertoxic and corrosive com-pounds. Only those trainedto work on refrigerationunits should do so. Be surethat all refrigerator coils,lines, and compressors areprotected from accidentaldamage. CFCs shouldnever be willfully ventedinto the atmosphere.

11

Sand.

Where Is It Found?Sandblasting operations.

Activities at RiskSand-blasting, working nearsandblasting.

SilicaEarly Signs of Expo-

sureMay be no earlysigns.

Long-Term HealthEffectsCauses a lung dis-ease known as silicosis.Wheezing, coughing, and

difficulty in breathing aresymptoms of silicosis.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Silica should notbe used in sandblasting;use steel shot or glassbeads. Work in well-venti-

lated areas. Wear an ap-proved respirator (seeChapter 4, Personal Pro-tective Equipment).

Toluene, xylene, stoddardsolvent, turpentine, glycols.

Where Are TheyFound? Paint thinners,cleaners, solvents.

Activities at RiskCleaning, machine mainte-nance and repair, painting,ship building and repair.

Early Signs of Expo-sureIrritation of the skin(especially on hands and

Solvents,Degreasers,Metal Cleanersarms), feeling "high," dizzi-ness, nausea, "buzzing"sound in the ears.

Long-Term HealthEffectsThere are manydifferent solvents in use,and each can cause differ-ent problems. For example,benzene can damage theliver and cause cancer.Some glycols may causesterility and birth defects.Many solvents can damagethe nervous system, kid-

neys, and liver. Read theappropriate MSDS, as la-bels on containers are usu-ally small and have limitedinformation.

How Do I ProtectMyself?Substitute lessdangerous solvents, useethanol rather than ben-zene or toluene. Wear pro-tective clothing, gloves, andthe proper respirator (seeChapter 4, PersonalProtective Equipment).

Work in well-ventilatedareas.

Special PrecautionsBeextremely cautious in con-fined spaces when usingsolvents (see Chapter 3).Never weld near chlori-nated solvents like methylchloroformultraviolet ra-diation can convert solventvapors to lung-irritatinggases. Often the effects ofthese gases will not appearfor several hours.

Where Are TheyFound? Common weldinghazards are ultraviolet andinfrared radiation; solvents;carbon monoxide, nitrogendioxide (see hazard de-scriptions in this chapter),and ozone gases; fluorides

12

Welding,Soldering,Brazing, Burning,and CuttingFumes andMaterialsand acids found in somefluxes; fumes from iron,copper, chromium (seehazard description in thischapter), lead, and zinc(from all galvanized steelmaterials); and compressedgas cylinders.

Activities at RiskSheetmetal work, handling gascylinders, plumbing, electri-cal work, ship building andrepair, gear work.

Early Signs of Expo-sureIrritation of the eyes,

21

nose, throat, and lungs. Ex-plosion of damaged or mis-handled gas cylinders.

Long-Term HealthEffectsMetal fume fever isa flu-like illness that lasts aday or two and is caused

UNSAFE BURNING ANDWELDING PRACTICES

by exposure to zinc, cop-per, or iron fumes. Metalpoisoning can occur.Health effects vary with ma-terials used and length ofexposure. Explosion of cyl-inders can cause burns andtraumatic injuries.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Read the MSDSfor each product to find outwhat you are working with.Wear protective clothingand use tinted goggles or awelder's face shield. Workin well-ventilated areas.

Welding,Soldering, etc.(continued)Mechanical ventilation is re-quired if the work is to bedone in a space of lessthan 10,000 cubic feet perworker, or in an area withan overhead height of 16feet or less.

Be extremely cautious inconfined spaces (seeChapter 3). Position an ob-server on the far side of thework area (in an adjacentcompartment) to assureoverall safety and to keep awatch for fire that may startdue to heat transferredfrom the work site. You

may need to wear a respi-rator; some are designed tofit under a welder's helmet(see Chapter 4, PersonalProtective Devices). Cut orweld galvanized steel onlyin ventilated areas or wearproper respirators.

Special PrecautionsDouble check that the ma-terials to be worked withare safe and create no ad-ditional problems from heattransfer or content flamma-bility. Keep gas hoses clearof work area to prevent

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22

their inadvertent cuttingand possible fire or explo-sion. People working nearwelding and similar opera-tions are also exposed tothese hazards. Handle gascylinders carefully. Keepoxygen away from combus-tible materials (grease, oil,fuels). Secure cylinders atall times. Keep protectioncaps on unless cylinder isin use. Consider every gascylinder as full, a potentialbomb that will go off if mis-handled.

13

Common Hazardous Materials

Pentachlorophenol orpenta, Cuprinol, creosote,inorganic arsenicals, cop-per-8-quinolinolate.

Where Are TheyFound? Treated lumber,wood preservatives, insome paints and adhe-sives.

Activities at RiskCar-pentry, painting, ship build-ing or repair, using treatedwood scrap as a fuel inwood stoves.

WoodPreservatives

Early Signs of Expo-sureCoughing and sneez-ing, dizziness, headache,eye and lung irritation.

Long-Term HealthEffectsCan be fatal. Cancause an acne-like skincondition or liver damage.

How Do I ProtectMyself? Wear protectivegloves, clothing, and thecorrect respirator whenhandling (see Chapter 4,Personal Protective Equip-

ment). Work in well-venti-lated areas only. Use woodpreservatives that are lesstoxic: copper-8-quino-linolate rather than penta-chlorophenol (PCP). Readthe MSDS.

Special PrecautionsThese chemicals are ab-sorbed readily through theskin, so wash off immedi-ately. Wash hands thor-oughly before using thehead, eating, drinking, orsmoking. Clean up carefully

and completely. Of the lesstoxic wood preservatives,the National Marine Fisher-ies Service supports theuse of copper-8-quino-linolate. Avoid using barewood, especially treatedwood, in fish holds. Do notburn any treated woodscrapthe fumes arenoxious.

Additional information on specific products is available onthe MSDS produced by the manufacturer. The supplier ofthe material must have the MSDS available to provide it tothe buyer at the time of purchase. The MSDS is also avail-able through the Alaska Department of Labor, and must be

14

provided to any worker who requests the information underthe Employee Right to Know Law in Alaska. The AlaskaHealth Project will also provide information on specific mate-rials or health concerns.

23

In the last few decadesseveral people have died inconfined spaces on boardvessels. They went into thespaces expecting no prob-lem. They could not see thetoxic gases nor the lack ofoxygen that caused theirdeaths.

Countless times, workersin holds or other compart-ments have not felt well af-ter painting or welding.Cooks complain of gettingheadaches while preparingthe crews' meals. Many ofthese ailments are relatedto a lack of good clean airthat has enough oxygen.This problem is extremelycommon in confinedspaces.

Vessels have numerousconfined spaces such as

r101.7-1-

holds, tanks, compart-ments, cofferdams, doublebottoms, bilges, galleys,heads, and lazarettes.Equipment sheds and stor-age bins ashore also areconfined spaces. Even theentire vessel on grid,ashore for work andwrapped in plastic sheet-ing, is a confined space.

Confined spaces havethree things in common.First, they are enclosed. Itdoes not matter what thematerial is, only that it isenclosing. Second, con-fined spaces have limitedentry and exit points. Theyusually have only one door,hatch, port, or cover. Third,confined spaces have poornatural ventilation. They willhold their own air, even

with open vents, windows,ports, doors, hatches, orcovers.

Spaces ventilated onlypart of the day may be-come dangerous confinedspaces. If a space hasbeen painted and thenclosed, the air may nothave enough oxygen thenext day; the curing of thepaint may have consumedit. Areas of the vessel withnatural ventilation becomeconfined spaces when theyremain unused and closed-up.

Holds full of unseengases seem empty, but arenot. Enclosures where workis to be done that mayeither consume or replacethe oxygen (welding, burn-ing, painting, cleaning,

holding decomposing fish)must have their gas moni-tored before and during theactivity. Assume that un-known confined spacesare dangerous unlessproven otherwise.

Confined spaces haveadditional problems in coldareas. In order to work withcertain products, the areamust be warm. A balancemust then be met betweenadequate ventilation andheating. Fans, blowers, orventilators need to circulateand clean the air whilemaintaining thetemperature.

When you want to go intoan unknown confinedspace, what do you do?Assume that it is danger-ous, and then test the air.

Striking a match is a badidea. It may tell you thatthere is not enough oxygenin the air when the flamegoes out. However, if thegases are explosive, youmay not survive the test!There are safer ways tolearn the chemical contentof the air in which you planto work.

Numerous gas metersare available, but whichone is best? It depends onyour needs and what is be-ing tested.

Gases you may want totest for:

TestingOxygen. If a space

has less than 19.5% oxy-gen, no one should enter.But enough oxygen doesnot always mean the at-mosphere is safe.

Refrigerants. If youare going into a refrigera-tion room, you may want totest for the gas used in thecooling system, usually am-monia or freon.

Exhaust gases. If youare going into a spacewhere there is an engine,exhaust system, or sometype of combustion, youmay want to test for carbonmonoxide, nitrogen dioxide,sulfur dioxide, or combus-tible gases.

Flammable gases. Ifyou are going into a fuel

tank, you will want to testfor flammable gases.

A good general meter isan oxygen meter, but thismeter will not test for othergases.

Other gases can be mea-sured with air monitors,available from most marinesuppliers and safety equip-ment stores. Air monitorswith hand operated pumpshave chemically sensitivedisposable tubes that areinexpensive and easy touse. There is one tube foreach kind of chemical.

Permanently mounted re-mote sensors are alsoavailable to monitor the lo-cal atmosphere for a varietyof chemicals and give adigital readout on a central

24

control panel. The panelhas variable settings for au-tomatic audible alarms. Re-mote sensors are easier touse, but are more expen-sive.

Depending on your ves-sel, your need, and yourbudget, you can select amonitoring system that fitsyour situation.

Knowing what gases youmight find means knowingwhat the confined space isand its size and shape,what was in it before, whatmay be in it now, what yourjob is, and how to do thatjob safely.

15

Confined Spaces

If testing shows there isnot enough oxygen or thereis a harmful gas in thespace, you must ventilateor get an alternative airsupply. Open any ports andhatches, and move the badair out. If the gases areflammable, do not use anelectric fan. A spark couldcause the gas to explode.A Venturi-type (air pres-sure) ventilator can be usedwith flammable gases. Beaware of where the bad air,or exhaust of the ventila-tion, is going, so as not to

Ventilatingpollute the rest of the ves-sel or injure the crew.

Once you have venti-lated, retest the air. Flam-mable gases must be lowerthan 10% of the lower ex-plosive limit before anyoneshould go in. Acceptablelevels for individual gasescan be obtained by callingthe Alaska Department ofLabor or the Alaska HealthProject. Oxygen levelsmust be at least 19.5%.Other tests should showsafe air results before any-one enters the space. Once

the space is approved forentry, it must continue to beventilated to assure enoughair circulation for the workerand to remove fumes.

In Alaska ventilation iscomplicated by the need forheat. Many materials workbest when applied at 55-85°F. This means workingon one of the few nice daysof the year (which are im-possible to predict and arealways in the middle of theseason when you makeyour living), or by heatingan enclosed area. Heaters

produce their own exhaust,they burn up oxygen, andthey can break down othervolatile chemical fumes toform an atmosphere ofsome unknown chemicalsoup. Ventilation-heat is adelicate balance that mustbe achieved with a thor-ough understanding of thematerials, space, andfumes involved to assurecrew safety.

If any question remainsas to the quality of the air,personal protective equip-ment should be worn. Sev-eral methods are available.First, a positive-pressure airsupply system with an ap-

16

PersonalProtectiveEquipmentpropriate compressor and afull face mask can be used.Second, a self-containedbreathing apparatus can beworn. Third, depending onthe conditions, an appropri-ate air purifying respirator

can be worn. See the fol-lowing chapter on protec-tive equipment for detailson respirator selection anduse.

25

Caution: A cartridge or can-ister type respirator doesnot provide oxygen andshould not be used whenoxygen level is a concern.

USE THE BUDDY SYSTEM

Have a Plan anda Buddy

DIGITAL GAS OXYGEN DETECTORWITH REMOTE SENSOR

/3 VENTURI-TYPE VENTILATOR

DRAWTYPF GASDETECTORWITH COLORIMETRIC

TUBE

SELF-CONTAINEDBREATHING APPARATUS (SCBA)

Investigating a confined space hazard. The space must be tested with a remote sensor or by crew equipped with SCBA. Ventilators must beexplosion-proof or intrinsically safe. The type pictured above operates by means of compressed air and poses no explosive hazard.

Before entering any con-fined space that you sus-pect may have poor air,have a plan and a buddy.Because the confined spacemay be filled with deadlygases, always have some-one standing by to help.Your buddy could hold yourlife in his hands, so make

sure you trust each other.Also make sure you bothare wearing personal pro-tective equipment. Attach asecure safety line to your-self, then make sure thatline is in the hands of yourbuddy before you enter.

Work out a plan that in-cludes signals (hand signs,

26

lights, tugs of the rope),time frame, and activities.Once you both know whatyou are going to do andhow you are going to do it,then you can begin.

Do not attempt a rescueunless you are prepared.Multiple deaths can occur ifthe rescuer is not wearing

safety equipment. The illus-tration on this page showssome precautions to takewhen investigating a con-fined space hazard.

17

Know what you are get-ting into. How big is thespace, what shape is it,what will you have to getaround, what might causeyou problems, what workwill you have to do, whattools will you need, howmuch time will it take, canyou do it by yourself? An-swer these questions first.

Retest the air as you gointo the space. There may

18

Prepare for yourConfined SpaceEntrybe a continuing leak or anew problem. Your activitymay create a hazardousenvironment; for example,paint or welding generatefumes, and sloshingthrough scum on the bot-tom of a fish hold may re-lease hydrogen sulfide gas.The air in one part of thespace may be very differentfrom where you entered,since some gases are

heavier and sit at the bot-tom while others are lighterand rise to the top. If thereare changes or if you haveproblems, get out.

Extreme caution shouldbe used in all confinedspace work. Decreasedventilation, increased con-centrations of gases, de-creased work space,increased equipment use,decreased numbers of safe

27

exits, and generally in-creased risk of complica-tions all make working inconfined spaceshazardous.

If you are unclear on theabove material, contact oneof the resources in Chapter7, References, to help youset up your confined spaceentry procedure.

.

Proper selection, use, and care of personal protectiveequipment (PPE) is vital if it is to be effective. Just as usingthe wrong tool for the job can cause problems, using the

wrong protective equipment, or equipment that is in poorcondition, can also be a problem.

When a captain instructsa crew member to performa task requiring PPE, thecaptain is responsible toprovide the right equip-ment.

The U.S. Coast Guard re-quires the captain to pro-vide a personal flotationdevice for each person onboard, and requires ownersand operators of vessels toassure the safety of thecrew, which includes provid-ing PPE for hazardous jobs.The federal OccupationalSafety and Health Adminis-tration also requires thatPPE be provided to employ-

The CaptainProvides theEquipmentees. Alaska state laws re-quire employers to providetheir employees with a safework environment.

The Coast Guard feelsthat work on board anAlaska licensed vessel fallsunder the laws of the state.Operation within the na-tional 200 mile limit fallsunder the federal Occupa-tional Safety and HealthAdministration guidelines.Work ashore is covered bythe Alaska Department ofLabor.

If the captain (the em-ployer) requires that a jobbe done, he must provide

the PPE needed by thecrew member (the em-ployee) to perform that job.He can provide "general"equipment for the crew, orhe can purchase PPE foreach individual.

If the employer pur-chases PPE for each crewmember to be used only bythat person, the PPE will fitbetter and will be bettercared for, and will thus besafer. People tend to takebetter care of their personaltools and equipment thancompany property.

Purchasing generalequipment may be less ex-

pensive, especially forlarger, varying crews, butgeneral PPE may be lesssafe. "One size fits all"equipment rarely does.

The captain must weighthe costs of providing gen-eral PPE with the costs ofinjuries due to improperlyfitted equipment. The cap-tain must consider how hecan best provide for hiscrew's safety. It is more dif-ficult to provide well-fittingPPE for large, varyingcrews than for small, closeknit, long-term crews.

Respirators are widelyused in Alaska to protectworkers from exposure toairborne hazardous sub-stances. However, the

Respiratorsproper use of respiratorsrequires careful planning bythe employer and cautioususe by the worker. Unlessproper care is taken to se-

lect, fit, and maintain respi-rators, they will not provideprotection from health haz-ards. The employer is re-sponsible for providing

respirator physicals, includ-ing fit-testing, and propertraining.

In general, respiratorshave many drawbacks andlimitations, some more thanothers. You should beaware of the limitations ofthe kind that you use. Hereare some of the generallimitations of respirators:

Increased Resistanceto Breathing. Some work-ers will have trouble breath-ing while wearing a respira-tor. Workers with chronic

LIMITATIONS OFRESPIRATORS

lung disease or heart prob-lems should not wear respi-rators without a physician'sapproval.

Poor Fit. Respiratorsmay be uncomfortable. Ifyou have strong bone fea-tures or have had a brokennose, cheek, or jaw, themask may not fit well. Fa-cial hair, as little as twodays growth or a full, bushybeard, will prevent the mask

28

from sealing properly.Large scars on the facemay also cause problems.Eyeglasses may break themask's seal, or the maskmay make glasses difficultor impossible to wear. Coldconditions make the maskless flexible and result in apoor fit. Contaminated airmay leak into the mask ifthe seal is inadequate.

Irritation. Sweat

around the face mask cancause a skin rash, or a rashcan result from contact withairborne hazards, like acidmist. Additional protectiveclothing may be needed tocover the skin and eyes.

Poor Vision. Glassesare difficult and sometimesimpossible to wear. Specialmasks or lenses can solvethis problem. Full-facemasks often fog.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

19

Interference with Nor-mal Work. You may needmore time to complete atask while wearing a respi-rator because of an in-

LIMITATIONS OFRESPIRATORS(continued)

creased resistance tobreathing, the additionalweight of the equipment,lack of peripheral vision,and other related factors.

In Alaska, respiratorusers face additional prob-lems. The cold Alaska win-ters can cause malfunctionsin some respirators. Metal

parts freeze and soft facepieces become rigid or evencrack, causing leakage andadditional discomfort.

RESPIRATORS USEDIN ALASKA

Air Purifying RespiratorFull Face Mask

Four major types of res-pirators are used in Alaska.1) Single Use-ThrowawayRespirators. Similar todoctor's masks, these aredesigned to trap dust andmist before it reaches yourmouth and lungs. Thesecan be used only whenenough oxygen is present(19.5% or more) and whendust and mist concentra-tions are low. These masksare good for one use only.Leakage around the maskis usually a problem.2) Air Purifying Respira-tors (illustrated on thispage). Contaminated air isinhaled through a pad,chemical cartridge, or can-ister which filters out dust,fumes, vapors, or gases.

20

Air Purifying RespiratorHalf Mask

To select the proper filtersfor use, several questionsmust be answered:

A) Is there enough oxy-gen present for normalbreathing? At least19.5% oxygen must bepresent in the air. If thereis any doubt, such as in aconfined space, the oxy-gen level must bemeasured (see Chapter3). Do not use this type ofrespirator without a safeoxygen level.B) What hazard is in theair? Is it fiberglass, tolu-ene, or nitrogen dioxide?The proper cartridge typemust be selected for therespirator (see table onpage 22).C) How much of the haz-

and is in the air? At highhazard concentrations,filter cartridges will "wearout" faster than at lowconcentrations. Somecartridges can be "usedup" just by being out oftheir protective wrapper.Be sure that the car-tridges you use are ingood condition when youstart and are changedwhen needed.

3) Air-Supplied Respira-tors. Fresh air is pumpedinto the face mask througha hose from a clean airsource. This respirator canbe used in areas with lowoxygen concentration orwhen the level of air con-taminants is so high that airpurifying respirators are not

Self-ContainedBreathing Apparatus

29

effective. Make sure thatthe air source is truly pure.A common mistake is usingair that is contaminatedwith toxic exhaust, which isthen pumped into the respi-rator along with the "fresh"air.4) Self-Contained Breath-ing Apparatus (illustratedabove). Clean air from aportable tank is supplied tothe face mask, similar to ascuba system. Because theair supply is limited to theamount of air the tankholds, these units can beused for only short periodsbefore the tank must be re-placed and refilled. Theunits can be used in thesame conditions as air-sup-plied respirators.

Legal requirements forthe use of respirators are inthe Alaska Department ofLabor regulations. Theminimum legal require-ments that an employermust follow are in theAlaska General SafetyCode, Section 01.0403.

RESPIRATORPROGRAMREQUIREMENTS

However, the employercan have a better pro-gram than required bylaw. The safety code statesonly the minimum re-quired. A concerned em-ployer or captain may wantto do far better for his crew;his life may depend on it

I) Written standard operating procedures governing theselection and use of respirators shall be _established.[These should be readable and posted at the job site.]

II) Respirators shall be selected on the basis of hazards towhich the worker is exposed. [Both the type of chemicalhazard and concentration must be considered in select-ing the right respirator. For example, a dust mask will notprotect you from solvent vapors.]

III) The user shall be instructed and trained in the proper useof respirators and their limitations. [Training should in-clude how to wear the respirator, fit testing, and thelimitations of its use. For example, an air purifying dustmask is useless in an oxygen deficient atmosphere.]

IV) Where practicable, the respirator should be assigned toindividual workers for their exclusive use. [Although notrequired, this should be done to control the spread of dirtand disease, and to insure proper fit.]

V) Respirators should be cleaned regularly and disinfected.[If used by more than one worker, the respirator should becleaned and disinfected after each use. If the respiratoris assigned to one worker, it should be cleaned once aday when in use.]

VI) Respirators shall be stored in a convenient, clean, sani-tary location. [Respirators can be damaged throughimproper storage. If the respirator is left unprotected inthe area, it can be contaminated by the hazards it ismeant to protect against.]

VII) Respirators used routinely shall be inspected duringcleaning. Worn or deteriorated parts shall be replaced.Respirators for emergency use, such as self-containeddevices shall be thoroughly inspected at least once amonth and after each use. [For example, filters and

just as much as the crewmember who is wearing thegear.

The following 11 pointsfrom the General SafetyCode outline the minimumrespiratory protection pro-gram. The bracketed [x]text following the exact

wording of the regulationsis a helpful explanation.Note that use of the word"shall" means that the em-ployer must follow theregulation. Use of the word"should" means that it isrecommended but not re-quired.

cartridges must be replaced periodically and rubber partsshould be inspected for pliability and deterioration.]

VIII) Appropriate surveillance of work area conditions anddegree of employee exposure or stress shall be main-tained. [The employer must check periodically for thehazards. Monitoring is necessary to determine the levelof protection.]

IX) There shall be regular inspection and evaluation todetermine the continued effectiveness of the program.[The employer must review regularly all parts of therespirator program, including air sampling results, train-ing, etc.]

X) Persons should not be assigned to tasks requiring respi-rators unless it has been determined that they arephysically able to perform the work and use the equip-ment. The local physician shall determine what healthand physical conditions are pertinent. The respiratoruser's medical status should be reviewed periodically (forinstance, annually). [Although not required, this is veryimportant. Because of heart or lung problems, somepeople may not be capable of using a respirator. Anyphysician determining that workers can or cannot wearrespirators must know about both respirators and theworking conditions in question.]

XI) Approved or accepted respirators shall be used whenthey are available. [Respirators are designed for particlessuch as dust or fumes, or for gases and vapors. Theymust have a "Bureau of Mines" or "NIOSH" approvalnumber (National Institute for Occupational Safety andHealth, for example TC-21C-132) and a description ofwhat it protects against stamped on the mask andcanisters.]

3021

F'eisonal Proteatnte Equipment

Know which canister orcartridge to use for an airpurifying respirator. Thecartridges are effective onlyon the hazards for whichthey are designed. There-fore, the worker is pro-tected from only the sub-stance identified on thecartridge. To assist userswith easy identification, a

CARTRIDGE ORCANISTER CODE FORAIR PURIFYINGRESPIRATORS

system of color coding hasbeen developed. This codeis used by all manufactur-ers of respirators in theUnited States. Some ex-amples of the coding sys-tem are in the accompany-ing table. NOTE: This doesnot apply to foreign-madefilters.

Each time you use an airpurifying respirator, even abrand new one, check forthe following:

Are all straps presentand in good condition (not

INSPECTIONCHECKLIST FOR AIRPURIFYINGRESPIRATORS

worn or frayed)?Are all rubber parts

clean and pliable?Are inhalation valves in

good condition and prop-erly sealed?

Hazardous substanceto be protected against

Color Code

Acid gases

Chlorine gas

Organic vaporsAmmonia gas

Carbon monoxide

Acid gases and organicvapors

All of the above

White

White with yellow stripearound the canisternear the bottom

Black

Green

Blue

Yellow

Red with gray stripearound canister nearthe top

Are exhalation valvesin good condition?

Is exhalation valvecover in place?

Are the mask andvalves clean?

Are cartridge gasketspresent, in good condition,and properly sealed?

Are parts missing?

Fit testing must be doneto check the size respiratoryou need and to test for anadequate seal between youand the face piece. Manyfactors can affect this seal,

RESPIRATOR FITTESTING

including beards, glasses,scars, and your face sizeand shape. Respirators willnot fit properly over a beardor other facial hair. This isan unpleasant fact for

many seamen; however,those who need to wear arespirator, as anyone onboard may, should have aclean chin from ear to ear.The employer should see

that all workers wearingrespirators are properly fittested.

You should do your ownquick field check beforewearing your respirator intoa hazardous area. Remem-ber: the field check is not asubstitute for proper fit test-ing.1) Put the respirator onand pull all straps snug.2) Cover the air intakeopenings with your hands

22

AIR PURIFYINGRESPIRATORFIELD TEST

to block the air flow. Itsometimes helps to use aplastic bag between yourhands and the openings tocreate a seal.3) Inhale gently. Thereshould now be a vacuumcreated in the face piecewhich will make the maskcollapse slightly and remainthat way until you remove

your hands from the intakeopenings. Try to detect ifany air is leaking betweenyour face and the facepiece.4) Now cover the exhala-tion valve with the palm ofyour hand.5) Exhale gently. Youshould not be able to detectair leaking out between

31

your face and the facepiece.

Using a respirator is notas easy as it may first ap-pear. The proper selection,use, and care of respiratorsis vital. If a good program isnot set up and maintained,you may not be gettinggood protection from yourrespirator.

Wear protective clothingsuch as suits or gloves toprotect your skin from thedamaging or irritating ef-fects of chemicals. Thisprotection can also preventharmful chemicals from en-tering your body throughyour skin. Gloves are themost common kind of pro-tective clothing. Manystyles of gloves are avail-

Glovesable, made from a varietyof materials. Selecting theright glove takes carefulconsideration. The GloveSelection Chart is a guideto selecting gloves forworking with various mate-rials.

No single glove will pro-tect you from all hazards.Leather gloves may workwell for protection against

Glove Selection Chart

abrasions, splinters, andheat, but they will not pro-tect you from chemicals.Different glove materialsprovide protection againstdifferent chemicals, buteven the proper glove onlyslows down penetration ofthe chemical.

Gloves should be care-fully inspected before eachuse, and discarded when

they begin to deteriorate.Cracks, discoloration, leak-age, and swelling are signsof deterioration. The GloveSelection Chart will helpyou choose the appropriategloves for the materials youare working with.

GLOVE MATERIAL

Natural Polyvinyl PolyvinylRubber Neoprene Buna-N Butyl Chloride Alcohol

Poly-ethylene Nitrile

Chemical (example)

Mineral acids (hydrochloric) G E E G GOrganic acids (acetic) E E E E E

Caustics (sodium hydroxide) E E E E GAlcohols (methanol) E E G E E

Aromatics (toluene) P F F F P

Petroleum (mineral spirits) E E E F P

Ketones (methyl ethyl ketone) G G F E NRChlorinated hydrocarbons NR F F NR NR

(perchlorethylene)Glycol ethers (Cellosolve *) G F F

Miscellaneous

Lacquer thinner F NR NR F F

Benzene NR P G NR F

Formaldehyde E E E E E

Ethyl acetate F G F G P

Vegetable oil G E E G GAnimal fat P E E G GTurpentine F G E F FPhenol F E G G G

Physical performance

Abrasion resistance F G G GCut resistance E E G FPuncture resistance E E G G FHeat resistance E E F P P

Flexibility F G F G FDry Grip E G G F E

Wet Grip G F G F E

P

E

P

F

P

E

F

E

E

E

E

P

F

E

E

E

P

GE

E

F

F

E

E

GGE

E

E

E

GG

G

FF

E

GE

E

GE

E

F

E

P

GGG

E

GE

E.EF

G

P

F

GF

F

E

E

ENR

EE

E

F

GGF

*From glove manufacturer data.

Key: E = excellent, G = good, F = fair, P = poor, NR = not recommendedAdapted from Glove Selection Data Sheet, Center for Safety in the Arts, New York, NY.

32 23

-

Clothing protects youfrom too much sun, heat,cold, dampness, or wind. Italso protects you from sol-vents, sparks, abrasions,and hypothermia.

Disposable oversuitsshould be available, used,and appropriately disposedof when working with sol-vents, paints, resins, andother materials that can beabsorbed through the skin.

Overalls are somewhatprotective for dirty jobs, but

ProtectiveClothingthey can trap solvents andfumes against the skinwhere they can be ab-sorbed. If you get penetrat-ing liquids on your overallsor any clothing, removethem quickly to avoid ab-sorbing the hazardous ma-terials though your skin.

Leather shoes orboots, or rubber boots, offerprotection from hazardousmaterials. Disposable bootcovers, made of the samematerial as disposable

oversuits, may be neces-sary for prolonged expo-sure to spilled chemicals.Avoid canvas shoestheyallow materials to reach theskin quickly. Leather mate-rials will absorb hazardousmaterials and cannot bedecontaminated.

A hat will keep paint,resins, paint dust, and othermaterials off hard-to-cleanareas of the head.

Long sleeves on ashirt, sweater, or oversuit

will protect forearms fromthe gloves up.

Long pants will protectlegs from the boots up.

Fire retardant materialsshould be worn when weld-ing, cutting, brazing, solder-ing, burning paint, or per-forming any heat-producingprocess.

Protect your ears whileworking with loud equip-ment such as grinders andsanders. Use earplugs andearmuffs to protect fromoverexposure to noise. Ear-plugs can be either dispos-able or nondisposable.

Not all hearing protectorsare equally effective. Com-mercially available protec-tors are given a noisereduction rating (NRR).This rating estimates howeffective the protector is atreducing the noise level.

24

HearingProtectionLook for this rating on theprotectors you are using.Ratings usually range fromabout 10 to 40 dB (deci-belsthe units in whichnoise is measured). Thehigher the rating, the betterthe noise reduction. Sinceratings are calculated fromlaboratory tests, the actualprotection in working condi-tions will probably be lower;a conservative estimate isabout half the reduction. Aprotector with a NRR of 30dB can reduce the sound of

your vessel's diesel engineby 15 dB.

Earplugs or earmuffsmust be used correctly tobe effective. The captainshould train the crew in theproper use of hearing pro-tectors. As with respirators,there are factors to con-sider when using hearingprotectors:1) The protectors must fitproperly. You may have totry out several types to findthe one that fits you best.2) They must be kept

33

clean. Letting them get dirtyand then inserting or wear-ing them is inviting infec-tion.3) They can be uncomfort-able.4) They may cause ear irri-tation and infection that canbe aggravated by usingdirty fingers to place andremove the protectors.5) They may interfere withnormal and emergencycommunication with otherworkers.

Safety glasses, goggles,and face shields of clear ordark materials should beused as necessary. Duringany process that puts par-ticles into the air, eye pro-tection should be worn(paint scraping, grinding,sandblasting, spray orbrush painting, fiberglasswork). During any processthat creates light, tinted eyeprotection should be worn(welding, cutting, brazing,using lasers). Sunglassesthat attach to your glasses,prescription sunglasses, ortinted glasses are neededfor long hours in the sun.These should fit undergoggles.

Eye WearAs with hearing protec-

tion and respirators, eyeprotection should be fittedbefore it is needed. Theeye gear should fit close tothe face to keep flying par-ticles from getting close tothe eyes. Tinted eye pro-tectors should block allharmful light.

Find the right protectiveeye wear for you. If youwear glasses, make sureyour eye protection fits overthem. Do not rely on yourregular glasses to offer pro-tection unless you know forsure they are safety glass.Even then, without sidepanels they will not offeradequate protection.

"Ct 17,.=

If you wear contactlenses, you should removethem before working on oraround materials that giveoff fumes or that will dirtyyour hands. Contact lensesmay trap droplets of haz-ardous fluid against the eyeand away from the tearsthat would normally washthe eye clean. Soft contactlenses are permeable andsome will draw in hazard-ous vapors and hold themagainst the eye. Regularcleaning may not restorethe contacts to a safe con-dition. Contact lenses mustbe removed if the eye be-comes irritated. If the handsare dirty or covered with

solvents, there is a delay inremoval that may be painfuland dangerous.

Cold Alaska environ-ments will cause problemsin the use of eye protection.Workers must see whatworks for them in a varietyof conditions. As the tem-perature drops, condensa-tion builds inside gogglesand glasses. Cold glassesfog and ice up when theygo from cold dry air outsideto warm moist air inside.Cool glasses on a warm,sweating face will fog. Ineither case the worker istemporarily without sight orprotection.

34 25

a ,

A crew member comes gasping into the wheelhouse andyells that gas cylinders have come loose of their tie-down.There was a sharp bang and a valve cracked. Chlorine gasis filling the vessel, a man is working in the engine room,and a gale is blowing topside.

You are tied up at dockside on a sunny day painting inthe lazarette. You are a little cramped but you are paintingonly fittings and should not be long. You get dizzy and de-cide to sit down to let it pass: it must be the garlic in thesandwich you had for lunch. When you wake up you are inthe hospital.

Events like the abovecan be avoided if hazard-ous materials are kept incontrol. When they go outof control they are ex-tremely dangerous, andmust be brought under con-trol as soon as possible. Aspill is an example of loss

ControllingHazardousMaterialsof control, especially with alack of awareness abouthow a product affects thelocal environment.

Just as each vesselshould have a plan for firecontrol, or to rescue a per-son overboard, eachshould have a plan for haz-

ardous materials emergen-cies.

The Material Safety DataSheet (MSDS) is a docu-ment produced by themanufacturer of each haz-ardous material. It has ba-sic information on handlingthat material and what to

do in an emergency. TheMSDSs for materials onboard can be used to makeup the outline of the emer-gency plan for the vessel.Additional help is availablefrom the resources listed inChapter 7, References.

Uncontrolled releases ofhazardous materials areconsidered spills. Spills arenot only wet spots on deckor in the engine room, butalso fumes and vapors thatescape from tanks, cylin-ders, and holds meant tocontain them. Spills may benoticed by any of thesenses.

Sight. You may see aliquid drip or spread on thedeck from the bottom orside of a container, or seea cloud of gas escapingfrom a cylinder.

Hearing. You mayhear the escaping pressur-ized gas. You may hear adrip that you cannot see inthe dark or a hidden area.You may hear a containerfall and sound like it brokewhen it hit the deck.

26

When You Havea Spill

Smell. You may smellthe vapor of the material it-self or the fumes from thereaction that results when itcontacts other materials.

Touch. You may feelthe heat or chemical burnof a material on your skin,and in your nose, throat, oreyes. You also may feel thecoldness of an escapinggas or evaporating liquid.

Taste. You may de-velop a strange taste inyour mouth, or your food orwater may not taste rightdue to some material af-fecting it.

Overall Perception.You may feel "poorly" or dif-ferent due to the effects ofthe fumes from a material.You may also "sense" thatsomething is wrong withyour vessel or crew with no

clear explanation.Once you know some-

thing is wrong, act quickly.If you are unsure of theproblem, investigate safely.If you think you smell gas ina dark room, do not strike amatch and do not turn onthe light switch. Get your-self to safety first, then usea protected, anti-spark lightsource and appropriatesafety equipment. If youneed more information, besafe and use proper pre-cautions.

As soon as you realizethere is a problem you mustlet others know, both toprotect the individuals andto initiate more specific ac-tion. As with fire, thereshould be established pro-cedures on board to dealwith spills. When there is a

35

fire, the established proce-dure is to continue to yell"FIRE!" as you help othersescape the flames and be-gin to fight the fire.

In case you have a spill,the crew must know wherethe vessel's safety equip-ment is and how to use it.They must also know whatthey are fighting. Just asthe crew knows they shouldnot put water on an oil fire,they need to know theyshouldn't put bleach on anammonia spill. Once again,the captain must knowwhat is on his vessel, andinform his crew so anyoneon board can deal with itwhen it is out of control.

Not only does the captainneed to know how to con-trol hazardous materials, heneeds to know what effectsthey will have on the localenvironment. "Local envi-ronment" does not justmean the state, bay, mu-nicipality, or even dockarea. Local environment isthe closest environment tothe individual, the vessel, orarea of the vessel. Thecaptain must know howeach hazardous materialused or carried on his ves-sel will affect each crew

Effects on theLocalEnvironmentmember and the vessel asa whole.

When a hazardous mate-rial goes out of control thecaptain must protect hiscrew. He needs to knowhow each job can be doneand what materials are nec-essary. If a hazardous ma-terial is needed and there isno alternative, then thecaptain must take all theprecautions to assure thatthe crew has all the materi-als and information to dothe job safely and com-pletely. When a job is to be

done, the effects on the lo-cal environment must beconsidered.

The captain must answermany questions beforework starts: What will theworkers need for prepara-tion of the area, for doingthe actual work, for clean-ing up after the work isdone? Do the workers havesufficient training? Arethere ways to reduce thenumber or amounts of haz-ardous materials used?What will the workers needfor their own personal pro-

tection? Does the producthave to be used at a spe-cific temperature? If so,how will the area beheated? Does the areahave to be ventilated? Canit be kept warm and venti-lated? Where is the bad air,or exhaust from the ventila-tion going? What will be theeffects on other crew mem-bers in the nearby area?What will be the effects onthe vessel? What will bethe effects on the crew andvessel if there is a prob-lem?

The above list of ques-tions is long, but the cap-tain must have answers tobe truly responsible for hiscrew and vessel. Hazard-ous materials must be keptunder control. The keys areto:

Prevent them from get-ting out of control and cre-ating problems.

Be prepared to handle

Captain andCrew as a Teamthe materials used.

Understand their ef-fects and side effects.

Have a plan in case ofemergency or accident.

At the same time, a crewmember is not worth hissalt unless he follows or-ders and instructions, anddoes his best for the rest ofthe crew and vessel. Thismeans that every crew

36

member needs to knowwhat to do in an emer-gency. He also needs toknow how each productused on board should behandled to protect himselfand others. He needs toknow how the material willaffect the local environmentand himself.

The crew is the first bulk-head in controlling hazard-

ous materials on board. Aswith all activities on board,it is a team effort, with thecaptain at the helm. Every-one is responsible for hispart of the total job, for thehealth and safety of every-one on board, and for thecontrol of hazardous mate-rials on board.

27

Chapter 6. Labels an Laws

Hazardous materials on board your vessel must behandled with care. Accurate and clear information is yourbest tool in dealing with these materials. Clear proceduresfor a vessel need to be outlined by the captain. Crew mem-bers must learn and abide by these procedures.

Information on all hazardous products must be madeavailable when it is requested. As an employer the captainmust provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) (seeChapter 7 for detailed explanation) to any employee who re-quests information or training on a material that he mustwork with or around. This is spelled out in the Alaska Em-

ployee Right to Know Law. Copies of this law are availablethrough the Alaska Department of Labor or the AlaskaHealth Project.

Captains, or the person who purchases the hazardousmaterials to be used on board, should request the MSDSfrom the supplier. A copy of the MSDS for each hazardousmaterial should be available on board in case of emer-gency. These could be included in a binder or put in theNorth Pacific Fishing Vessel Owner's Association VesselSafety Manual (see Chapter 7, References).

Read product labels andlook for a box with the wordCAUTION, WARNING, orDANGER in capitals andoften in red ink, plus someadvice in very small print(see illustration of label ex-ample on this page). It maystate "contains dichloro-difluoromethane" or someother chemical name. If youdo not understand the la-bel, ask for more informa-tion and clarification.

Many labels are hard toread: The print is small, thewords are not common,and often legal language isincluded at the bottom.However, this information isthere to help you. Thewords carry specific,agreed upon meanings asin the following examples:

Caution: One tablespoonto one pint will be toxic.Warning: One teaspoon toone tablespoon will betoxic. Danger: Breathingthe fumes or one teaspoonwill be toxic.

The label may also con-tain first aid information,which will be helpful if youget hurt. But before admin-istering first aid, if at allpossible contact a poisoncontrol center orCHEMTREC in Colorado(see Chapter 7, Refer-

28

Labels

SeapowerFIBERGLASS BOATCLEANER AND WAX

cleans, waxes, seals and protects

DANGERHARMFUL IF SWALLOWED. AVOID CONTACT WITHSKIN OR PROLONGED BREATHING OF VAPORS. CONTAINSPETROLEUM DISTILLATES. IF SWALLOWED CALL PHYSICIANDO NOT INDUCE VOMITING. KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN.DIRECTIONS: Wash surface to remove dirt and grit. ApplySEAPOWER CLEANER and WAX with turkish towel. Rub briefly ineven overlapping circular motions. Let drypolish with cleancloth.

SEAPOWER MARINE PRODUCTS11022 Vulcan St., South Gate, CA 90260 (213) 926-6812

ences, and inside backcover for phone numbers).You should not rely solelyon the antidote informationon the label. Some compa-nies hide the exact "for-mula" of a product by givingsimplified and generalizedantidote information.

If you are not sure what alabel means ask someone(see Chapter 7, Refer-ences). Before buying orusing any materials, evenputty or paint, read the la-bel.

Because people havebeen hurt when they mis-used hazardous materials,

many labels now includetwo legal statements. Forfederal Environmental Pro-tection Agency registeredpesticides and many anti-fouling paints, the state-ment reads, "It is a violationof federal law to use thisproduct in a manner incon-sistent with this labeling." Inother words if you do notfollow the directions on thecan, you are breaking afederal law. Another onestates, "The manufacturerand vendor assume no re-sponsibility due to the mis-use of the product." In otherwords if you do not follow

BEST COPY AVAILABLE37

the instructions on the labeland then get hurt while us-ing this product, do not gocrying to them (they toldyou it was nasty stuff). Fol-low all instructions on thelabel.

Another portion of the la-bel tells how to clean upand dispose of waste.Often the recommendedcleanup product is also ahazardous material: paintthinner is flammable, as arepaint and turpentine. Somerags used with wood oil areto be burned after use.

Some bottom paints arepesticides and must be

"triple rinsed, and disposedof in accordance with stateand local procedures." Inother words what is left inthe can must be rinsed outinto a holding containerthree times.

The liquid that is notused and the cleanup liquidare hazardous wastes.These wastes, plus the

Labels(continued)empty container, plus anydirty rags, clothes, andbrushes must be taken toan approved hazardouswaste site. Because thereis no hazardous waste dis-posal site in Alaska, youmay have to ship hazard-ous waste to another state.If you paint the bottom ofyour boat with antifouling

paint, you may have to shipa barrel of hazardous wasteto another state for dis-posal, or you will be break-ing federal and state laws.You need to know the lawand avoid breaking it. Itprotects you and your envi-ronment.

It pays to read the labeland follow instructions. It

pays to look for ways to re-duce the amount of hazard-ous material you use, andto reduce the amount ofhazardous waste you cre-ate.

Crew members, as em-ployees, are protected bylaw from having to workwith or around hazardousmaterials without informa-tion, training, and properpersonal protective equip-ment to deal with the dan-gers. The Employee Rightto Know Law in Alaska pro-vides this protection. If acrew member is asked towork with any product, hemay legally request to seethe MSDS for that product.

Crew Rights andResponsibilities

Once the crew memberbegins to work with a prod-uct, he is responsible fordoing the best job heknows how. This meansthat the worker should doeverything within his abilityto assure that the productis used as directed. By fol-lowing the directions on thelabel and the standard op-erating procedures of thevessel, he should be ableto use the material safely.

The crew member must

know what to do and whomto contact if there are anyproblems using a hazard-ous material. You must actquickly. Follow the standardrequirements for reportingmarine accidents. If you areat sea you may have tocontact the Coast Guard. Ifyou are in port you mayhave to contact a differentgroup of people. If a personis injured, medical helpmust be called: health aid,EMT, nurse, clinic, or hos-

pital. If there is a fire or gasleak, then public safety of-ficers, troopers, firemen, oremergency response teamsmust be contacted. If theproblem is on your vesselin the water, the CoastGuard may still need to becontacted. On the insideback cover is a list of emer-gency numbers to call anda place for you to write inyour own local numbers.Do that right now.

It really is up to you. Cap-tains make the rules andgive the orders on boardtheir vessels. If they aresuccessful, the captain isgiven the credit. It they areunsuccessful, the captain isat fault. How well a crewfares is reflective of the

Captain's RightsandResponsibilitiessuccess of the captain. It isvery important that the cap-tain be aware of the crew'swell-being and insure theirhealth.

The captain gives the fi-nal okay on which materialsare brought on board orused on his vessel. The

captain tells the crew howto do the work and how helikes to keep his ship. Hisdirection will mold theirhabits. If the captain knowsand uses hazardous mate-rials in a safe and positivemanner, then his crew willfollow his lead.

BEST COPY AVAIABLE

38

Captains spend yearslearning about the sea andrunning vessels, includingrepair and maintenance.This experience will bepassed on to the captainsof tomorrow. They will fol-low the lead of today's cap-tains.

29

Chapter 7. Re erences

An MSDS is an informa-tion sheet prepared by themanufacturer containingbasic health and safety in-formation for the product.An MSDS should be thestarting point to under-standing the health prob-lems associated with ahazardous material. Itshould lead you to othersources of information andto other chapters of thisguide.

Because the MSDS isfilled out by the manufac-turer of the product in ques-tion, the quality of theMSDS varies widely. Spotchecks for accuracy aredone by the federal Occu-pational Safety and HealthAdministration (OSHA). Ifyou feel that an MSDS isnot accurate, the AlaskaDepartment of Labor willlook into your complaint.

Not all MSDSs follow thesame format. The followingtext helps interpret thesample MSDS shown.

Section I. Product Identi-fication

30

Material SafetyData SheetSection II. IngredientsThis section lists theingredients by their formalchemical name or genericname, and may include thepercent by weight or vol-ume and the threshold limitvalue (TLV) recommendedby the American Confer-ence of GovernmentalIndustrial Hygienists, aswell as the permissible ex-posure limit (PEL) that islegally enforceable. TheTLV and PEL are the aver-age amount of exposure toa specific chemical that isbelieved to be harmless tomost workers. Air samplingmust be done to measurethese exposures. Not allchemicals have been givenTLVs or PELs. TLVs arerecommended levels, whilePELs are legal limits.

Section III. Physical DataThe selected chemical datalisted can be useful in de-ciding how dangerous aproduct is. For example, ifthe vapor density is muchmore than air (air = 1), thesubstance may collect in

low places and be a hazardto workers in low-lying con-fined spaces.

Section IV. Fire, Explo-sion Hazard andReactivity DataA materialwith a flash point of lessthan 140°F is a hazardousmaterial because of itsignitability. A flash pointnear or below 100°F indi-cates a substance sounstable that it might catchfire or explode as the resultof static electricity or a ciga-rette. The flammable limitsrefer to the range of vaporconcentrations in the airthat will enable explosion inthe presence of heat. If alower explosive limit (LEL)is a low number, thatmeans an explosion canoccur with a small amountof the vapor of that sub-stance in the air, i.e., it ismore dangerous.

Reactivity information ex-plains conditions that couldcause the product to reactdangerously or to decom-pose and release danger-ous materials.

39

Section V. Health HazardDataThis very importantsection is sometimes in-complete. Long-term orsuspected hazards, suchas cancer or reproductiveproblems, may be left out. Ifyou want to know moreabout the health hazardsthan is listed on the MSDS,use the resources in thischapter.

Section VI. PrecautionaryMeasuresMinimal infor-mation is provided on thepersonal protective equip-ment and ventilation to beused with the product.

Section VII. First Aid

Section VIII. Spill and Dis-posal Procedures

Section IX. Transporta-tion Data

Section X. References

CAT. NO. 14393

MSDS DATE: 1/13/93

CHANGE NO.: 8745

MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETFor Assistance, Contact:

Regulatory Affairs Dept.PO Box 907 Ames, IA 50010(800) 227-4224

HACH COMPANYPO BOX 907

AMES, IA 50010

PO4: FS113889

HACH ORDERS: 520197

Emergency Telephone a

Rocky Mountain Poison Ctr.

(503) 623-5116

I. PRODUCT IDENTIFICATION

PRODUCT NAME: Mercuric Nitrate 0.2256 U 0.0010 NCAS NO.: NA CHEMICAL NAME: Not applicableFORMULA: Not applicable CHEMICAL FAMILY: Not applicable

II. INGREDIENTS

Mercuric NitratePCT: < Is CAS NO.: 7785-34-8 SARA: LISTEDTLV: 0.1 mg/M3 as H9 C: I m9 /M3 as H9HAZARD: Extremely toxic; corrosive

Nitric Acid ACS Grade

PCT: < 5 CAS NO.: 7697-37-2 SARA: LISTEDTLV: 2 ppm PEL: 2 ppmHAZARD, Causes severe burns; powerful oxidizer

Deminerallzed Water

PCT, to 100 CAS NO.: 7732-18-5 SARA: NOT LISTEDTLV: Not applicable

HAZARD: None

III. PHYSICAL DATA

PEL: Not applicable

STATE: liquid APPEARANCE: Clear end colorless ODOR: Not determinedSOLUBILITY IN: WATER: Soluble ACID: Soluble in HNO3OTHER: Not determined BOILING POINT: ND MELTING PT.: NASPEC GRAVITY: 1.026 pH: 0.8 VAPOR PRESSURE: Not determinedVAPOR DENSITY (01,1): ND EVAPORATION RATE: 0.55METAL CORROSIVITY - ALUMINUM: ND STEEL: NDSTABILITY: See Conditions to Avoid

STORAGE PRECAUTIONS: Store tightly closed.

IV. FIRE, EXPLOSION HAZARD AND REACTIVITY DATA

FLASH PT.: Not applicable METHOD: NAFLAMMABILITY LIMITS - LOWER: NA UPPER: NASUSCEPTIBILITY TO SPONTANEOUS HEATING: NoneSHOCK SENSITIVITY: None AUTOIGNITION PT.: ND

EXTINGUISHING MEDIA: water, carbon dioxide, or dry chemical

FIRE/EXPLOSION HAZARDS: May emit toxic fumes in fire

HAZARDOUS DECOMP. PRODUCTS: May emit toxic fumes of mercury and nitrogenoxides in Fire

OXIDIZER: No NFPA Codes: Health: 2 Flammability: 0 Reactivity: 0CONDITIONS TO AVOID: Heat, evaporation; contact with oxidizers, reducers,

alcohols, sulfur. phosphlne, hypophosphoric acid

V. HEALTH HAZARD DATA

THIS PRODUCT MAY BE: corrosive to eyes and skinACUTE TOXICITY: Toxic

ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: ingestion

TARGET ORGANS: kidneys

CHRONIC TOXICITY: Danger of cumulative affects

ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: ingestion, skin absorptionTARGET ORGANS: central nervous system, kidneys

CANCER INFORMATION: Not determined

ROUTES OF EXPOSURE: Not determined

TARGET ORGANS: Not determined

OVEREXPOSURE: Causes burns. May cause ulcerations in the digestive tract if

ingested. Mercury Is a general protoplasmic poison; it circulates in theblood and Is stored In the liver, kidneys, spleen and bones. May causekidney damage.

MEDICAL CONDITIONS AGGRAVATED BY EXPOSURE: Nervous disorders, impaired

kidney or respiratory function, allergies or sensitivity to mercury may

Increase susceptibility to the effects of the substance.

VI. PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES

Avoid contact with eyes, skin and clothing

Wash thoroughly after handling.

PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT: adequate ventilation, lab grade goggles, neoprenegloves, lab coat

VII. FIRST AID

EYE AND SKIN CONTACT: Immediately flush eyes and skin with water for 15minutes. Remove contaminated clothing. Cell physician.

INGESTION: Give egg whites, milk or activated charcoal. Induce vomiting bysticking finger down throat. Never give anything by mouth to enunconscious person. Call physician.

INHALATION: Remove to fresh air.

VIII. SPILL AND DISPOSAL PROCEDURES

IN CASE OF SPILL OR RELEASE: The toxicity of mercury is such that the

element and its compounds should not be allowed to contaminate sir orwater. Soak up solution with inert material. Do not breathe fumes.Decontaminate the area with mercury absorbing compounds available

commercially. Dispose of all mercury contaminated material In an EPAapproved hazardous waste facility.

DISPOSE OF IN ACCORDANCE WITH ALL FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL REGULATIONS.

IX. TRANSPORTATION DATA

D.O.T. PROPER SHIPPING NAME: Corrosive liquid, N.O.S.

(Nitric Acid/Mercuric Nitrate)HAZARD CLASS: Corrosive Material ID: UN1760

I.C.A.O. PROPER SHIPPING NAME: Corrosive liquid, N.O.S.

(Nitric Acid/Mercuric Nitrate)HAZARD CLASS: 8 ID: UN1760 GROUP: II

I.M.O. PROPER SHIPPING NAME: Corrosive liquid, N.O.S.

(Nitric Acid/Mercuric Nitrate)ID: UN1760 GROUP: IIHAZARD CLASS: 8

X. REFERENCES

11 TLV's Threshold Limit Values and Biological Exposure Indices for 1988-

1989. American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists, 1988.

2) Air Contaminants, Federal Register, Vol. 54, No. 12, Thursday, January19, 1989. pp. 2332-2983.

3) In-house Information

4) Technical judgment

5) NIOSH/OSHA Occupational Health Guidelines for Chemical Hazards.Cincinnati: Department of Health end Human Services, 1981.

SARA: This product contains a chemical or chemicals subject to the reportingrequirements of section 313 of Title III of the Superfund Amendments andResuthorizatIon Act of 1986 end 40 CFR Part 372.

BEST COPY AVAILABLE

THE INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN IS BASED ON DATA CONSIDERED TO BE ACCURATE. HOWEVER, NO WARRANTY IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIEDREGARDING THE ACCURACY OF THESE DATA OR THE RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED FROM THE USE THEREOF.

Hach Company, WORLD HEADQUARTERS, PO Box 389, Loveland, CO 80539 Hech Europe, BP 229, 85000 Namur 1. BELGIUM

40

(C) HACH CO. 1993

PAGE 1 OF 1

31

These books on chemicalhazards can be found atthe Alaska Health Project,public or University ofAlaska libraries, one of theagencies listed in this chap-ter, or local unions. Thebooks also can be orderedfrom most book stores. Donot hesitate to ask for helpwhile learning to use thesereference books. Research-ing the health effects youmay face is easy once youget over the intimidation ofthe unfamiliar chemicalnames. The first threebooks are written for work-ers and are interesting andeasy reading. They are agood way for you to find outmore.

Work Is Dangerous toYour Health. Stellman,J.M. and Daum, S.M. 1973.New York: Pantheon

32

Further ReadingBooks. An inexpensive pa-perback, this is the classicbook on occupationalhealth written for workers. Itprovides an excellent over-view of occupational healthand work-related diseasesand contains much informa-tion on common work placechemicals and their pos-sible health effects. Al-though it is somewhat outof date, it is still useful.Available through theAlaska Health Project, price$8.00 . .

NIOSH Pocket Guide toChemical Hazards. 1994.NIOSH Publications,Mailstop C-13, 4676 Co-lumbia Parkway, Cincinnati,OH 45226-1998, (800) 356-4674. This is a handy quicksource of information onworking with 677 chemi-cals. This is an excellent re-

source for all vessels.Single copies are providedat no charge; multiple cop-ies available. Electronicversions on CD-ROM orcassette are available fromcommercial vendors, andhave enhancements not in-cluded in the printed ver-sion.

1996 EmergencyResponse Guidebook.Publication No. P 5800.5.U.S. Department of Trans-portation, Research andSpecial Programs Adminis-tration, Office of HazardousMaterials Transportation(DHM-51), Washington,D.C. 20590-0001. Availablethrough AmericanLabelmaster Company,5724 N. Pulaski Road, Chi-cago, IL 60646-6797, orderStyle No. ERG-90PB,phone (800) 621-5808.

41

This is a handy, quicksource of information onhow to transport and dealwith spills of over 500 com-mon chemicals. It is an ex-cellent resource for allvessels.

List of Proprietary Sub-stances and NonfoodCompounds Authorizedfor Use Under USDA In-spection and GradingPrograms. This manualand one-year subscriptionincludes guidelines onusing cleaning compoundsand can be purchased for$25.00 from the U.S. Gov-ernment Printing Office, Su-perintendent of Documents,710 North Capitol St. NW,Washington, D.C. 20402-9371. Order line (202) 512-1800 8 a.m.-4 p.m. EST,MasterCardNisa.

Alaska Department of Envi-ronmental Conservation

410 Willoughby Ave., #105Juneau, AK 99801-1795(907) 465-5010www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/ENV.CONSERV/home.htm

Alaska Department of Envi-ronmental Conservation

Northern Region610 University Ave.Fairbanks, AK 99709(907) 451-2360

Alaska Department of Envi-ronmental Conservation

Southcentral Region555 Cordova St.Anchorage, AK 99501(907) 269-7500

The Alaska Department ofEnvironmental Conserva-tion can provide informationto employees and employ-ers on hazardous materialstransportation and handlingand hazardous waste dis-posal. They also can findarticles on specific topics ofconcern.

Oil and hazardous sub-stance spills:

Anchorage (907) 269-7500Fairbanks (907) 451-2360Juneau (907) 465-5340

After hours: Environmentalhealth spill reporting

(800) 478-9300

Call for MoreInformationAlaska Department of

LaborLabor Standards and

SafetyOccupational Safety and

Health (OSH)P.O. Box 107022Anchorage, AK 99510-7022(907) 269-4942

Alaska Department ofLabor OSH

Box 21149Juneau, AK 99802-1149(907) 465-4855www.state.ak.us/local/akpages/LABOFt/home.htm

Alaska Department ofLabor OSH

675 Seventh Ave.,Station J

Fairbanks, AK 99701-4596(907) 451-2888

Alaska Department ofLabor OSH

120 Trading Bay Rd., #290Kenai, AK 99611(907) 283-7206

Alaska Department ofLabor OSH

2030 Sea Level Dr., #220Ketchikan, AK 99901(907) 225-4518

OSH is the enforcementagency for the state ofAlaska. It is responsible formost private and publicwork places except federalemployees, and dock orharbor workers. They areavailable to answer ques-tions, do training, andrespond to workers' re-

42

quests for inspections.These services are pro-vided at no charge.

Alaska Health Project218 E. 4th Ave.Anchorage, AK 99501(907) 276-2864In Alaska (800) 478-2864

The Alaska Health Project,a nonprofit service organi-zation, provides job safetyand health information andservices to workers, laborunions, businesses, healthprofessionals, and otherorganizations. They main-tain the Occupational andEnvironmental Health Li-brary that is open to thepublic. Professional staffprovide telephone supportduring regular businesshours and there is a 24-hour answering machine.Many services are providedat no charge.

Alaska Health SciencesLibrary

3211 Providence DriveAnchorage, AK 99508-8176(907) 786-1870

The health sciences libraryhas a number of journalsand magazines in the areaof job safety and health.They are often interestingto look at and may provideanswers to questions. Askthe librarian for help. Thereis no charge to use the li-brary; however, there is acharge for librarian ser-vices.

Alaska Sea Grant MarineAdvisory Program

University of Alaska Fair-banks

2221 E. Northern LightsBlvd., #110

Anchorage, AK99508-4140

(907) 274-9691

The Alaska Sea GrantMarine Advisory Programprovides information andassistance on a variety ofmarine subjects. Severalcommunities have marineadvisory agents.

Bethel (907) 543-4515Cordova (907) 424-3446Dillingham (907) 842-1265Homer (907) 235-5643Kodiak (907) 486-1500Petersburg (907) 772-3381Seward (907) 224-5261Sitka (907) 747-3988

Alaska Marine SafetyEducation Association(AMSEA)

Box 2592Sitka, AK 99832(907) 747-3287

AMSEA is a nonprofit cor-poration that conductsmarine safety and survivalclasses for fishermen, anddevelops marine safetyeducation materials (bro-chures, videos, etc.).AMSEA publishes a quar-terly newsletter on marinesafety topics and maintainsa marine safety video andbook lending library for thepublic. AMSEA instructorsconduct first aid courses forfishermen.

33

CHEMTRECChemical ManufacturersAssociation

(800) 424-9300

This is the 24-hour emer-gency number to call to findout how to control a haz-ardous materials spill, fire,leak, exposure, or accident.

(800) 262-8200

The Information ServicesHotline is a non-emergencyCHEMTREC number youcan call for information onhazardous materials,health, and safety. Call be-tween 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.EST Monday through Fri-day.

National Institute for Occu-pational Safety andHealth (NIOSH)

4676 Columbia ParkwayCincinnati, OH 45226-1998(513) 841-4428(800) 35-NIOSH (356-

4674)Automated voice fax sys-tem and direct contact withNIOSH technical informa-tion staff.www.cdc.gov/niosh/homepage.html

NIOSHAlaska Field StationGrace Hall, #3104230 University Dr.Anchorage, AK 99508(907) 271-2382

34

NIOSH does research in allareas of job safety andhealth, and provides techni-cal information, assistance,and publications. For gen-eral information, technicalinformation or to request ahazard evaluation of yourwork place, contact the of-fice in Cincinnati. Theseservices are provided at nocharge.

U.S. Environmental Protec-tion Agency

Region 10 Office1200 6th Ave.Seattle, WA 98101(206) 553-1200 or (800)

424-4372, M-F 8:30-4PST

24-hour emergency re-sponse: (206) 553-1263

www.epa.gov/r10earth/

Hazardous materials, wastemanagement, ResourceConservation Recovery Act(RCRA) permitting.

North Pacific Fishing Ves-sel Owners'Association, VesselSafety Program

1900 W. Emerson, #101Fishermen's TerminalSeattle, WA 98119(206) 285-3383

NPFVOA is a voluntary, in-dustry-sponsored effort tosave lives and property.They have a vessel safetyprogram, which includescrew training courses and

production of safety videosand books. Their VesselSafety Manual is availablefor $65 plus $5 postage.

Occupational Safety andHealth Administration(OSHA)

U.S. Department of LaborOSHA

301 W. Northern LightsBlvd., #407

Anchorage, AK 99503(907) 271-5152www.osha.gov/

OSHA is the federal en-forcement agency. Theyare responsible for over-seeing the Alaska stateprogram (OSH) and for en-forcement among federalgovernment workers, andlongshoremen and harborworkers. They are availableto answer questions, dotraining, inspect workplaces (as requested byworkers), and respond tocomplaints about OSH.These services are pro-vided at no charge.

The U.S. Coast Guard per-forms rescues, providesinformation and assistance,does inspections, and en-forces federal regulations.

If someone is injured andneeds to be transported byCoast Guard helicopter orboat, call the Rescue Coor-dination Centers:

43

From anywhere in Alaskaexcept Juneau, Douglas,and Kodiak(800) 478-5555In Juneau and Douglas463-2000In Kodiak 487-5888

For vessel inspection, infor-mation on transportinghazardous materials, and toreport that a hazardousmaterial has been spilledinto the water call the U.S.Coast Guard Marine SafetyOffices:

Valdez (907) 835-7200Juneau (907) 463-2450Anchorage (907) 271-6700

To report spills of hazard-ous materials you can alsocall the National ResponseCenter. They are staffed byU.S. Coast Guard person-nel, and will notify either theCoast Guard or the Envi-ronmental ProtectionAgency, depending on whohas jurisdiction.

(800) 424-8802

Emergency Phone Numbers

911 This 24-hour, three digit phone number will quickly connect you with emergency assistance. Itshould be posted at the work place for life threatening emergencies. Check to see if thisnumber will work in your community, as some areas of Alaska do not yet have this system inplace. If it does not work in your area, write in your emergency telephone numbers here:

Health/Ambulance

Police/Public Safety

Fire

Harbormaster

CHEMTRECChemical Manufacturers Association (800) 424-9300This is the 24-hour emergency number to call for information about a hazardous materials spill, fire,leak, exposure, or accident.

POISON CONTROLPoison Control Center, Providence Hospital, Anchorage, AK 99518

In Anchorage 261-3193Outside Anchorage (800) 478-3193

Seattle Poison Center, Children's Hospital (206) 526-2121The Poison Control Center can provide information on emergency care when chemicals are acci-dentally inhaled, sprayed in the eyes, spilled on the skin, or otherwise encountered. Theymaintain a 24-hour hotline.

U.S. COAST GUARDFrom anywhere in Alaska except Juneau, Douglas, and Kodiak (800) 478-5555In Juneau and Douglas 463-2000In Kodiak 487-5888The U.S. Coast Guard performs rescues. If someone is injured and needs to be transported byCoast Guard helicopter or boat, call the Rescue Coordination Centers at the numbers above.

44

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