Shipyard Service - Part 2 - Lead Paint Removal

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One of the jobs that was happening concurrently to the pickling and flushing job was a lead paint removal from another black class light ice breaker vessel at another client’s dry dock. This was to be done with 40,000 PSI. Walco Industries Ltd. brought in its portable de-contamination trailer and (4) 40K pumps. Scope was to include multiple decks on the vessel including the funnel, bridge, stairs, handrails and other miscellaneous parts and pieces.

“Occupational lead exposure continues to be an important health concern in both Canada and the USA, and based on the numbers provided by OSHA, there appears to be significant issues related to lead paint management, as well as health concerns at shipyards across the country. (1)”

Lead paint management was one of the primary concerns along with the use of 40K water jetting. The dry dock system was hoarded in with mesh and poly to ensure flying debris and to capture mist and debris within the containment. Water and lead were collected, filtered, reused in the cleaning process and eventually collected for treatment.

Employee safety was of the utmost importance. Safe work procedures were reviewed, training occurred for lead hazards/handling and daily toolbox talks ensued to review scope and any hazards for the upcoming day, along with any concerns from the previous day. Each employee was fit tested with a full-face mask combined with P-100 HEPA filter. The crew also wore Tychem suits under their raingear to eliminate lead exposure to the skin. As the crew was rotated, they were to rinse off and make their way directly to the de-con unit to follow the donning and doffing procedures and de-contamination. The process to do so was posted within the de-con unit and discussed in the procedures and toolbox talks. Daily audits were either done by HSE or by the supervisor in charge. These audits also involved the workers, who also signed off as participants.

Paint removal was accomplished by using four 40,000 PSI pumps and four guns running continuously to get the project completed on schedule. Ultra-high pressure is preferred over lower pressures due to its lower volume of water and ability to remove multiple layers of paint in one or two passes with an orbital jet. This method removes residuals such as salts, chlorides and other unwanted substances from the metal ensuring better paint application and longevity. As well as reducing lead exposure from airborne contaminants to the water jetting technician and others working in the area.

 Overall, the job was completed with no incidents, concerns and stayed on budget.

YouTube video of the project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYF1NYRkWYo