By Nick Warrick
PPE, or personal protective equipment, is no longer the personal preference of a few workers but a legal requirement for particular work environments. Government agencies have made efforts to recommend, regulate, and enforce their use in workplaces, especially in high-risk jobs like marine construction.
Both employees and employers should also ensure the use of PPE is taken seriously. The right marine construction PPE protects workers against harmful materials like hot liquids, gasses, fumes, and acids.
It’s important to understand the factors to consider when selecting PPE.
Understand Risk Assessment in Marine Construction There’s a lot happening in marine construction, from expanding ports to accommodate larger vessels to building or repairing bridges or boathouses. Risk assessment helps to uncover potential hazards that marine construction workers are exposed to as they do these jobs and the protective gear they’ll need.
Marine construction is a booming business, but it’s also a high-risk work environment, and proper risk assessment is essential. Before construction workers can start doing their job, it’s important to assess the following.
▪ Weather and water
Marine construction happens near water, and the chances of workers slipping and falling are heightened, especially in rainy weather.
Depending on the weather, water waves, tides, and strong currents can sweep workers away and cause serious accidents. It’s also important to know that conditions near the water body can change quickly, so it’s best to always be prepared with the right PPE.
▪ Type of equipment
Most construction work involves operating heavy equipment, which can be challenging enough on dry land. Working near water or on a wet surface makes it worse.
Heavy equipment like lifts, towboats, and drilling vessels increases the risk of slipping and suffering serious injuries. Before any work starts, assess the type of equipment contractors will use and know the right PPE to buy.
▪ Time
Construction work can happen during the day or night on shared waterways, exposing workers to collisions that can be more dangerous at night. For example, workers fixing a bridge are restricted in their navigation and exposed to collisions with other vessels. PPE should make construction workers more visible at night.
Role of PPE in Marine Construction
Reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that 2.6 million cases of non-fatal injuries were reported in 2021, which is a decrease from the previous year. The challenge now lies in keeping up with this trend, and PPE plays a critical role in this. The right PPE ensures the following.
Protection against harmful materials in the environment
PPE plays a vital role in workplace safety, and not just in marine construction. It is the barrier that ensures marine construction workers are safe from harmful elements. For example, employees can be exposed to dangerous gasses when welding or cutting metal. The right PPE protects them from inhaling carbon monoxide, nitrogen, or hydrogen.
▪ Eliminates workplace liability
According to OSHA employers should ensure their workers have the right PPE to protect them from danger. Failing to provide the right protection is grounds for workers to file for compensation, especially if an injury has occurred. To avoid such legal cases and financial losses, understand the type of PPE workers in marine environments should have.
▪ Increases employee confidence and work satisfaction
Workers who feel secure and comfortable while performing their duties are less stressed, have a positive attitude and have higher confidence levels. This leads to increased work satisfaction and a happier workforce, which also increases productivity. For example, using the right gloves when handling different kinds of metal in boat house construction gives employees the confidence to work diligently.
Types of PPE Requirements for Marine Construction
PPE is a general term that covers different types of protective gear that marine contractors need. PPE requirements include:
Protective clothing
Marine contractors need to protect their bodies from harmful substances like hot oil or chemicals while working on moving surfaces. They’ll need overalls with long sleeves to ensure their skin is well protected.
▪ Helmet
A helmet is a piece of protective gear that protects the head from falling objects. It also offers protection in case of a fall or slip, especially on slippery surfaces.
Contractors and employers should ensure helmets come with a chin strap to keep them in place. Wearing a helmet correctly can save workers from serious head injuries like concussions, skull fractures, or brain trauma that can be fatal.
▪ Safe shoes
PPE should also protect worker’s feet. Construction workers use heavy metal and machinery that could easily slip and fall on their feet. They might also step on sharp objects.
The footwear or boots should meet the requirements of ASTM F2412. They should protect workers against impact, heat, compression, and electrical hazards.
▪ Goggles
Marine construction workers need to protect their eyes from dirt, falling objects, welding sparks, and bright light. If the eye is not properly protected, there can be significant eye injuries, including irritation, blurred vision, or blindness.
Depending on the findings from the risk assessment, employers can determine the right eyewear. These include goggles, face shields, and safety glasses.
▪ Hand gloves
Construction work involves carrying, moving, or pushing a variety of materials that can cause abrasions, cuts, and burns. It’s, therefore, important to use the right gloves to protect a worker’s most valuable asset — their hands. If the work involves handling hot objects, you can use heat-resistant gloves.
Normal operations may require cotton gloves, or you might need gloves specifically designed for handling chemicals.
▪ Ear plugs
To safeguard ears and ensure proper hearing protection, especially in areas like the engine room where exposure to such loud noises can cause irritation, headache, or worse lead to deafness. Ear plugs can dampen loud noises and protect workers’ ears.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a PPE
There are factors you need to consider when choosing the right PPE for marine construction workers. They include:
▪ Level of threat
Some work environments are high risk, while others are low risk. For example, moving heavy metal or glasses in a marine environment is a high risk, and you need special PPE to avoid cuts and slips that can be tragic.
However, workers handling wood on dry surfaces might need ordinary PPE to protect themselves.
▪ Balance safety and comfort
Balancing safety and comfort can be tricky, but it’s necessary. Very heavy PPE can be uncomfortable and hinder workers from performing their duties well. It can also reduce morale and increase the chances of making mistakes and causing accidents.
On the other hand, PPE should not be too comfortable or unsafe. Assessing threat levels and finding a balance is vital.
▪ Industry
Industry determines the type of PPE you should buy. For example, marine construction workers are surrounded by water, and the chances of slipping are higher. Getting the right PPE will minimize such risks.
The role PPE plays in saving the lives of workers across different industries is unquestionable. Highrisk areas like marine construction environments are where there’s a need for clear PPE policies and implementation. Employees should also understand how to fight for the implementation of these policies, and employers need to know the consequences of non-compliance.
Nick Warrick is the owner of All Seasons Uniforms, a provider of safety uniforms and professional apparel across a wide range of industries. The company, located in Woodstock, Ill., was started in 1991 by Thomas J. Warrick and remains family-owned. For more information, visit https://www.allseasonsuniforms.com.
Reprinted from Marine Construction Magazine Issue VI, 2023.
