Íåàlth, Sàfåty ànd Risk Àssåssmånt in Ånginååring (Research Paper Sample)

Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment for Arc Welding in a Marine Vessel Diesel-Engine Room
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Personal Protective Clothing and Equipment for Arc Welding in a Marine Vessel Diesel-Engine Room
Protective clothing and equipment for any engineering operations depends on the hazards and danger the operator, and other users are exposed to. In this case, there are two main areas of concerns that must be addressed when choosing the right clothing for the task involved. First, one must be protected from the danger posed by arc welding. Welding generates radiation, sparks, shocks, fumes, and heat that must be shielded by clothing and equipment. Secondly, the task is to be carried out in an engine room of a marine vessel, and the welder must be protected from any potential hazards emanating from the engine operations fumes from combusting engine fuels. The clothes chosen must protect the entire body including eyes, body, lungs, and ears among other parts. The protective gear; clothing and equipment must ensure that the welders are protected from any fumes coming from the welding activity and diesel combustions. Other potential hazards associated with the marine vessel diesel engine room are high noise levels, flammable substances, and high temperatures among others. The choice of protective clothing and pieces of equipment are justified in the subsequent paragraphs/sections.
Eye and Face Protection
For eye and face protection, the welder needs to wear a helmet fitted with filter lens and a cover plate. The helmet must be opaque to light and resistant to heat, impact and electric shocks. The filter lens or shades protect the eye from intense light produced by welding. The helmet shell and plate protect the face from radiation, slags, spatter and sparks. The helmet should be made of light materials, but capable of protecting against radiations, sparks, and electric shock. The cover plate should be made of polycarbonate plastic to protect from scratches, UV radiation, and impact. Filter lens should be made of glass containing filler to minimize the light passing through to the eyes.
The presence of a running diesel engine exposes the welder to fire hazard. Consequently, a welder must wear a fire-resistant head covering beneath the helmet. The helmet must be tight fitting to be useful in protective the face and the eyes.
Head and Ear Protection
The helmet protects most parts of the head from sparks. The fire resistant head covering protects the head and hair from sparks, burns, and radiation from both the engine and welding.
The engine room is characterized by an intense noise that can cause harm to the ear drums. Therefore, the welder must wear approved ear muffs and plugs to shield noise from damaging the ears. The welder must also wear fire resistant ear plugs to prevent sparks or splatter from going into the ears.
Feet and Hand Protection
A welder must wear leather steel-toed boots to protect the feet and ankle from injury. The welder must wear fire-resistant boot protectors, especially leather spats around boot tops and the trouser to protect from sparks and slags that may cause a burn to the feet. The trouser won must be free of cuffs. Cuffs are capable of collecting sparks that can lead fire or flame. The trouser must be worn over the top of the boots to protect the feet from sparks.
The boots must be oil resistant and anti-slip since the engine room might contain leaking oils that can easily cause a slip and fall. The must be a rubber-soled to safeguard against electric shock.
The welder’s hands must be protected from electric shock, burns, sparks or slags, scratches, and heat among other hazards. The must wear dry, insulated, and hole-free welding gloves to protect the hands from the mentioned hazards. The gloves must be a fire-resistant or flame protector to protect from heat and fire. The gloves must fit well to make it comfortable when welding.
Body Protection
Body protection other than hands, feet, head and face is required for a welder operating in a diesel engine room. The body is the most exposed section or part of a person. The clothing and equipment are designed to fit every part of the body for protection from various hazards. The clothing must be free of oil and must cover the remaining part of the body. The clothing must be made of materials that are difficult to ignite and resistant to wear and damage. The clothing should allow freedom of movement for efficiency during welding.
The shirt should be long sleeves and buttoned scuffs, collars, and pockets to protect the body and hand from heat and exposure. Collars will protect the neck from heat and sparks. The back of the neck is protected from welding radiation by wearing a hood. The trouser must be heavy, long, and durable to withstand wear and damage and keep sparks away from the body. The clothin...