ASBESTOS, HEALTH HAZARDS ON SHIPS

WHAT IS ASBESTOS
Asbestos is the common name given to a number of naturally occurring inorganic silicates with complex compositions and of fibrous, crystalline structure. Their are three main types . However, it is rarely possible to identify by colour the type of asbestos present in a manufactured product, and high temperatures (for example around the exhausts and hot water pipes of engines) and aging may change the colour of certain types of asbestos.

1.Chrysotile (known as “white asbestos”) is the common type. It is a fine, silky, flexible, white to grey/green fibre.

2.Amosite (known as “brown asbestos”) is a straight,brittle, light grey to pale brown fibre

3. Crocidolite (known as “blue asbestos”) is a straight,flexible, fibre, lavender grey to bluish green in colour.
All types of asbestos area risk to health. However, blue and brown asbestos are considered to be especially harmful

Uses of asbestos in the ship

Fire Insulation   -  Throughout the ship, particularly accommodation, engine room, funnel and uptakes, auxiliary and service spaces. Stores, fire control and navigation spaces, stores, lockers etc.Particularly principle fire divisions sprayed on insulation, doors, boards,concrete laid for passive fire protection, penetrations,ducts, glands and packings,bulkheads, fire shields and fireproofing, rope door sealants, fire blankets

Electrical cable insulation  - Cables throughout the ship Particularly cables with cloth like sheathes

High temperature applications - thermal laggings and insulation Particularly engine room spaces,all spaces with hot machines,galleys and messes, pipes and high temperature conduits uptakes and exhausts throughout the ship. HVAC ducts, service spaces Steam pipes, high temp fuel, oil, water and other fluid laggings, gaskets, glands, boiler claddings casings and insulation, fire bricks and furnace linings, steam turbine casings, pumps, valves, compressors, auxiliaries, separators, heaters, ducts, HVAC, hydraulic systems, packings, any materials or textiles and plastics

Brake linings  - Cranes, windlasses, engine room, steering gear compartments, winches, shaft brakes,  etc.

Safety equipment  - Firefighting equipment, overalls,gloves, fire blankets, galley equipment, welding equipment,fire and welding curtains, heat protective blankets, shielding

 Miscellaneous-Throughout ship, particularly accommodation, engine room, galleys, messes, control spaces,
other engine and auxiliary spaces, cargo control spaces, cranes, cargo gear Tiles, plaster (including decorative mouldings), underlays, gaskets, adhesives, glues, mastics and fillers, sound insulation, plastics, putty, packings, ropes,

HEALTH HAZARDS 
         Airborne asbestos fibres are dangerous. They may be present in air which looks dust free to the naked eye. When fibres from materials containing asbestos are inhaled, they may penetrate to the deepest part of the lung where they may cause diseases. Additionally, care should be taken that asbestos fibres do not penetrate the skin where they may produce wart-like lumps—as far as is known those lumps are not in themselves cause of alarm.
     
The medical effects of inhaling asbestos dust can be:

 Asbestosis
This is a progressive scarring of the lungs (pulmonary fibrosis) due to exposure to any type of asbestos dust. It may take some years for the disorder to be noticeable. It produces increasing breathlessness and a dry cough. A thickening of the lung surface can also occur in those exposed to asbestos—this may also result in noticeable disability. The scarring and thickening may get worse after the person concerned has ceased to be in contact with asbestos.
Bronchial Carcinoma (due to Asbestos)
This is a cancer of the lung usually associated with people who have had asbestosis. (It is not yet certain whether people who have not had asbestosis can get this cancer.) Smoking increases the likelihood of this
cancer.
Mesothelioma
This is a rare but dangerous tumour for which there is no known medical treatment. Usually it occurs in the lining of the chest (pleura) but it can occur in the abdominal cavity. It is usually associated with exposure to crocidolite (blue asbestos); but it can be caused by other types of asbestos. Some people develop the tumour after relatively little exposure to asbestos. The tumour does not usually occur until at least 15 years after first exposure and it is common for this period (known as the “latent period”) to extend to 40 years. Some experts think that this tumor is not exclusively due to asbestos.

 General controls to minimise exposure to asbestos dust

        If the condition of any asbestos on board ship is or may be defective the following steps should be taken:
1. All crew members should be informed and access tothe site must be restricted to as few crew members as possible. 
2. If circumstances permit, the defective site must be covered or sealed in order to minimise the risk of dust inhalation.
3. Repair and maintenance work by seamen must only be undertaken if, for safety reasons, this is absolutely necessary. Every consideration should be given to having the work undertaken in port by qualified personnel.
3. Any place where there is, or is thought to be, airborne asbestos should be reported to the owner or managers of the ship as appropriate.
4. A seafarer who has been exposed to asbestos dust, or who has worked with asbestos on board ship, should be advised to make a record of the dates and circumstances, and to inform his own medical practitioner thereof.
5. Where repairs etc. involving asbestos are to be done by shore based personnel, the repairer should be informed as soon as possible of the nature and extent of any asbestos work anticipated, and, if possible, of the type of asbestos.

  Where, exceptionally, the amount of asbestos in the air is continually monitored, the level of asbestos adjacent to the face of anyone breathing that air should not exceed, when measured as a time weighted average over 4 hours or10 minutes:
(a) if the type is not known, or if it is identified as blue asbestos (crocidolite) or brown asbestos (amosite): 0.2 fibres/ml of air (4 hours) or 0.6 fibres/ml of air (10 minutes);No one should breathe air containing a level of asbestos above these control limits. If the dust level is or could be above the control limits respiratory equipment and full protective clothing as prescribed
(i) Suitable approved protective clothing and equipment should be worn by all persons entering the affected area. Respiratory protective equipment type approved for the purpose by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE),The wearer of a respirator should ensure that there is good contact between the mask and the wearer’s face.
 precautions to be taken during emergency repair
1.use hand tools rather than power tools
2.thorough pre-wetting of the item to be worked. Thoroughly wet or oil-soaked items, such as gaskets and seals, can usually be replaced without special precautions; the replaced item should be carefully disposed of.
3.Access to areas where asbestos is being worked should be limited to those persons essential to the operation. Where practicable, the working area should be enclosed (for example, by plastic sheeting and adhesive tape), and suitable warning signs should be posted. Persons not wearing protective clothing and respiratory equipment should be excluded from this area
4. the wastes removed and all cloths, filters, brushes, clothing, etc should be placed in the air tight containers: they should not be cleaned on board ship. The sealed containers should be clearly labelled “Warning: Contains asbestos. Breathing asbestos dust is dangerous. Follow safety instructions” or“Asbestos contaminated clothing—do not inhale the dust” The containers should.be stowed safely until they can be disposed of ashore in accordance with the advice of the port authority, 
SOLAS ON ASBESTOS
Ships built before 1 July 2002 are allowed to have Asbestos Containing Materials on board. However, the
ACMs are only allowed as long as they do not pose a risk to the crew's health. The crew should be aware of the dangers of asbestos and should know how to deal with asbestos in case disturbance of the ACMs cannot be avoided
 Chapter II, Regulation 3-5 SOLAS Convention.
This introduced the first major asbestos ban on 1 July, 2002, prohibiting the new installation of asbestos containing materials on all ships, except for:
• vanes used in rotary vane compressors and rotary vane vacuum pumps
• watertight joints and linings used for the circulation of fluids when, at high temperature(in excess of 350º C) or pressure (in excess of 0.7 x 106 Pa), there is a risk of fire, corrosion or toxicity, and
• supple and flexible thermal insulation assemblies used for temperatures above 1,000º C.
 An amendment which came into force on 1 January,2011, banned all new installations.

 When asbestos is detected on board, in contravention of SOLAS regulation II-1/3-5,action should be taken to have it removed. The removal – assigned to professional asbestos removal companies – should take place within a time frame of 3 years from the date when the contravention is found and should be conducted in close consultation with and, where applicable, under the supervision of the flag State concerned. In such cases, a suitable exemption certificate should be issued by the flag State

NEW BUILDING SHIPS
 
Asbestos‐free Certification
A new Circular was approved, based on IACS Unified Interpretation SC 249, which recommends the process to be applied to certify that ships do not contain asbestos as per SOLAS II‐1/3‐5. The certification process calls for a review of asbestos‐free declarations and supporting documentation for the structure, machinery, electrical installations and equipment covered by the SOLAS Convention. Such information is to be provided by shipyards, repair yards and equipment manufacturers. Material used for maintenance and repair should be documented with an asbestos‐free declaration which should be audited during annual safety construction and safety equipment surveys. The Circular goes beyond the IACS UI SC 249 as it refers to the six types of asbestos as specified in resolution MEPC.197(62).