Guidelines for Health and Safety on Board Small Fishing Boats

Hot Work is the label given to any work that may generate a spark or significant heat. Sparks and heat can ignite nearby gases or materials so it is important to manage this hazard.

The most common Hot Work on vessels involves welding, grinding and cutting operations. Electricians, upholsterers and other trades also use appliances that could ignite surrounding materials and gases through heat or sparks.

Hot work has led to numerous fires onboard vessels and has also caused explosions on some vessels. It is important to know about it and treat it seriously.

Legal requirements

All vessels are to ensure that the local Harbourmaster is informed of any hot work that is to be conducted on board a vessel in the port.

If the contractor is a regular marine repairer they will be familiar with this requirement. The contractor will usually inform the harbourmaster. Once the Harbourmaster issues a Hot Work Permit, work can start.

It is still the vessel’s responsibility to make sure there is a Hot Work Permit. The skipper must check that the contractor has the permit before allowing work to commence.

Dangers with Hot Work

Danger to adjacent compartments. Heat rapidly transfers through the bulkhead or deckhead structures and can ignite paints, wiring, linings, insulation or other materials on the other side.

• Make sure the crew or the contractor supply a fire-watcher armed with a bucket of water or an extinguisher.
• Make sure linings are removed wherever possible before the Hot Work commences.

Danger to nearby flammable goods. Some Hot work operations, such as grinding and cutting, generate sparks which spray over a wide area. These sparks can ignite nearby rubbish bags, rags, cartons etc.

• Make sure you check both sides of the bulkhead or deck and clear such items out of the way or cover them with a flameproof blanket. (Remember to keep the vessel’s fire blanket aside, in case you need it to fight a fire).

Danger with fumes and gases Sparks can also ignite fumes coming from fuel tanks, gas bottles, paint and other solvents.

• Never allow hot work to be conducted:
• during fuelling operations
• if there is a tank lid off
• if there are solvents, oils, paints or other flammable liquids in open containers or plastic containers (open or closed) nearby.

Always have a fire extinguisher nearby!