OSHA Revises Shipyard Industry Document
June 21, 2009 // Published as a news service by IHS
Fire protection in shipyard employment, contamination issues related to hexavalent chromium and employer payment for personal protective equipment (PPE) are three additions to the "Shipyard Industry Standards," a revised guidance document published in May by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The document provides employers and workers with an overview of safety and health standards associated with the shipyard industry.
The standard's fire protection in shipyard employment subpart includes sections on implementing a fire safety plan, fire watches and fire response.
The payment for PPE section advises employers of their obligation to provide PPE for workers at no cost to them. Hexavalent chromium was added to the list of air contaminants whose concentrations should not exceed stated exposure levels, according to OSHA.
"Shipyard Industry Standards" revises the existing "Shipyard Industry Digest" and incorporates new shipyard employment requirements that were developed and finalized since the booklet was last published in 1998.
It lists the guidelines for safety and health programs in the industry and incorporates topics such as management commitment, employee participation, program evaluation and hazard identification, assessment and control.
"The Maritime Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health recommended that OSHA update and republish the shipyard and longshoring industry digests," said Jordan Barab, acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA. "The revised document is now up-to-date with current standards and will continue to serve as another resource for protecting the safety and health of shipyard workers."
Source: U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).