Ship Repair & Maintenance Occupational Health & Safety

Background Background

SAMSA is required in terms of the SAMSA Act, “to ensure safety of life and property at sea”. The Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations (MOSR) endeavours to create a safe working environment for:

merchant seamen stevedores, shore contractors, and incidental persons fishermen.

In addition to the MOSR there are codes of safe working practice for:

merchant seamen stevedores fishermen

Background Background

• There is NO code of safe working practice for ship repairers incorporated into the MOSR

• The industry DO have an “unofficial” code: COPS (Code of Practice: Ship Repair

Shore Contractors (Ship Repair)

Background Background

SAMSA having successfully focused on fishing vessel and stevedore safety and are now in a position to review ship repair safety, using similar methods to that used in the stevedore and fishing industries.

Plan of Action:

SAMSA to:

conduct occupational safety inspections on ships under repair – planned and ad hoc

conduct compliance audits

coordinate the formation of a committee, with a cross section of the industries stakeholders to review / revise the Code of Practice for Ship Repair with a view to incorporating it into the Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations, as well as reviewing Chapter III of the Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations.

conduct a road show to improve awareness of legal requirements and responsibilities.

• TNPA unlike the stevedore industry DO NOT license ship repair companies to

operate in the port, except at the Dry Dock

• There is a great deal of sub contracting in the industry

• There is the Association of Ship Builders & Repairers, however it is not

mandatory to be a member

• Therefore difficult to ascertain the number of ship repair companies operating in

the ports

Who are the ship repair companies?Who are the ship repair companies?

ChallengesChallenges

Challenges Affecting Ship Repair / Challenges Affecting Ship Repair / Maintenance SafetyMaintenance Safety

•Working at heights

•Unguarded openings

•Noise

•Dust & fume inhalation

•Fire / explosions

•Hazardous Machinery (lock out systems)

•Confined space entry

•Dark claustrophobic work places

•Housekeeping (cable management)

Statistics 2000 - 2009Statistics 2000 - 2009

39 Reported Casualties

4 Fatalities

28 Serious Injuries

7 Minor Injuries

Incredibly only one accident reported in 2009!

2000 – 2009:

Statistics 2000 - 2009Statistics 2000 - 2009

Non Reporting of Casualties / Accidents

Due to:

•Ignorance and fear of consequences•Confusion regarding which Authority to report it to: SAMSA or Department of Labour

To clarify

The Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations “Apply on board vessels and to the performance of all work on vessels, whether or not the vessels are afloat”

Therefore:

•Accidents occurring onboard must be reported to SAMSA•Accidents occurring in the dry dock must be reported to Department of Labour•ALL accidents must be reported to COID for compensation purposes

Progress To DateProgress To Date

The ship repair and maintenance industry is governed by the following safety legislation:

•Merchant Shipping Act, 1951•Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations, 1994•Occupational Health & Safety Act, 1993

LegislationLegislation

A committee was established to review and amend the Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations and Code of Practice Ship Repair

This has been completed and both the amended documents have been sent to industry for informal comment

Progress To DateProgress To Date

Summary of Amendments to the Maritime Occupational Safety Regulations:

LegislationLegislation

• The Code of Practice: Ship Repair has been reviewed and updated. Renamed to the Code of Safe Working Practice for Ships Undergoing Repair and Maintenance in South Africa and will be incorporated in the MOSR

• Workers must have a valid medical certificate, provided by a SAMSA accredited doctor

• Workers must complete safety induction training conducted by a SAMSA accredited training provider

• Safety Appointees (H&S Reps) appointed per ship. Responsible for:

• Workplace inspections prior to shift commencement

• Ensure safe practices

• Establishment of safety committees along the same lines as the OHSAct

• Compliance audits to be conducted every 6 months

Progress To DateProgress To Date

Maritime Occupational Safety Regulation AuditsMaritime Occupational Safety Regulation Audits

Compliance audits have been conducted on major ship repair companies in Durban and East London and audits will be taking place in Cape Town in September 2010.

•Safety Legislation (MOS R / MSA / OHSAct / Code) •Risk Assessments (documented & implemented)

•Operator Competence (welders & cutters / scaffold erectors / crane operators etc)

•Safety Training (hazard awareness)

•Casualty Investigation (reported, investigated, documented corrective actions identified and implemented)

•Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

•Safety Officer (appointed and conducting inspections) •First Aid (first aider trained and equipped)

•Emergency Procedures (fire / explosion / injury / evacuation)

•Lifting Gear / Rigging Equip (SWL / ID marks / certificated)

•Occupational Hygiene Surveys & Medical Surveillance

Audit Criteria

Audit Results

Really good to really bad!

Progress To DateProgress To Date

Maritime Occupational Health & Safety NewsletterMaritime Occupational Health & Safety Newsletter

• Initially SAMSA distributed a Stevedore Safety

Newsletter to the stevedore industry and interested

parties to create safety awareness

• This newsletter contained information on serious

injuries, safety training, status of amended

legislation, results of safety inspections and audits

and other relevant information

• The newsletter has now been amended to

incorporate ship repair and maintenance, with the

first copy being distributed at the beginning of

August 2010