If the conditions under which the permit has been issued, should change, hot work must stop immediately. The permit should be withdrawn or cancelled until all conditions and safety precautions have been checked and re-instated to allow the permit to be re-issued or re-approved.

When alongside a terminal, hot work should only be permitted in accordance with prevailing national or international regulations, port and terminal requirements and after all necessary approvals have been obtained.

A Responsible Officer, not involved in the hot work, should be designated to ensure that the plan is followed.

Table 9.1 depicts how guidance for hot work on an inerted ship may be presented within the SMS.

Note : Table 9.1 to be inserted as close to this text as possible.

9.4.2 CHECKS BY THE RESPONSIBLE OFFICER

A Responsible Officer should inspect the equipment involved in the hot work prior to use.

Immediately before hot work is started, the Responsible Officer should examine the area where the work is to be undertaken and ensure that all the requirements of the permit are being fully complied with.

Monitoring should be continued for at least thirty minutes after completion of hot work or until the risk of fire no longer exists.

Atmospheres should be re-tested after each break in work periods, and at regular intervals. Checks should be made to ensure there is no ingress of flammable vapours, liquids, toxic gases or inert gas from adjacent or connected spaces.

9.4.3 HOT WORK INSIDE THE MACHINERY SPACE

Hot work inside the main machinery space, when associated with fuel tanks and fuel pipelines, must take into account the possible presence of hydrocarbon vapours in the atmosphere, and the existence of potential ignition sources.

No hot work should be carried out on bulkheads of bunker tanks containing bunkers, or within 500 mm of such bulkheads.

9.4.4 HOT WORK OUTSIDE THE MACHINERY SPACE

9.4.4.1 General

Account must be taken of the possible presence of hydrocarbon vapours in the atmosphere, and the existence of potential ignition sources.

Hot work should be prohibited during cargo, ballast, tank cleaning, gas freeing, purging or inerting operations. If hot work needs to be interrupted to carry out any of these operations, the permit should be withdrawn or cancelled. On completion of the operation, all safety checks should be carried out once more and the permit re-approved or a new procedure developed.

9.4.4.2 Hot Work in a Dangerous or Hazardous Area

Dangerous or hazardous areas are locations on board or within the terminal where an explosive atmosphere could be present, as defined in Section 4.4.2. For ships, this effectively means an area slightly larger than the cargo tank deck, which includes cargo tanks and pumprooms, and the atmospheric space around and above them.

No hot work should be undertaken in a dangerous or hazardous area until it has been made safe, and has been proven to be safe, and all appropriate approvals have been obtained.

Work Location

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Work in designated space with shield or curtain erected. �

Adequate ventilation. � �

�

� � �

Confirmation from Master or designate that work is OK to proceed.

�

Hot work permit to be issued on board.

�

Hot work permit issued in agreement with Company.

� � � � � � �

Hot work permit approved by Master or Responsible Officer.

� � � � � � � �

Tank atmosphere checks carried out and entry permit issued.

�

�

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Tank to be washed and gas freed.

�

�

Cargo tanks to be purged and inerted to <8% O2 and not more than 2% HC.

� � � � �

Work to be carried out >500 mm from the tank deck or bulkheads.

�

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Work to be carried out >500 mm from a F.O. tank deck or bulkheads.

� �

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Local cleaning to be carried out as per requirements.

�

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All inter-connecting pipelines flushed and drained.

� � �

Tank valves isolated.

� � �

Work planning meeting to be held and risk assessment completed. � � � � � � � � �

Table 9.1 Example of SMS Guidance for Hot Work on an Inerted Ship

9.4.4.3 Hot Work in Enclosed Spaces

Where hot work involves entry into an enclosed space, the procedures outlined in Chapter 10 for enclosed space entry should be followed.

A compartment in which hot work is to be undertaken should be cleaned and ventilated. Particular attention should also be given to the condition of any adjacent spaces.

9.4.4.4 Hot Work in Cargo Tanks

General All sludge, cargo-impregnated scale, sediment or other material likely to give off flammable vapour, should be removed from the work area. The extent of the cleaned area should be established following a risk assessment of the particular work to be carried out. Special attention must be given to the reverse side of frames and bulkheads. Other areas that may be affected by the hot work, such as the area immediately below the work location, should also be cleaned.

Table 9.2 provides guidance on the safe distance for areas to be cleaned and represents minimum requirements which may need to be extended, based on the output of the risk assessment. Cleaning distances are based on the type of work being carried out and the height above the tank bottom. Cleaning is taken to mean the removal of all sludge, cargo-impregnated scale, sediment or other material likely to give off a flammable vapour.

Operator’s Side Opposite Side Height of Work Area Gas Cut Welding Gouging Gas Cut Welding Gouging

0 – 5 metres 1.5 m 5.0 m 4.0 m 7.5 m 2.0 m 2.0 m

5 – 10 metres 1.5 m 5.0 m 5.0 m 10.0 m 2.0 m 2.0 m

10 – 15 metres 1.5 m 5.0 m 7.5 m 15.0 m 2.0 m 2.0 m

> 15 metres 1.5 m 5.0 m 10.0 m 20.0 m 2.0 m 2.0 m

Table 9.2 Radius of Areas to be Cleaned in Preparation for Hot Work in Tanks

Consideration should be given to using fire resistant blankets or putting a water bottom in the tank to prevent falling sparks coming into contact with paint coatings.

All inter-connecting pipelines to other compartments should be flushed through with water, drained, vented and isolated from the compartment where hot work will take place. Cargo lines may be subsequently inerted or completely filled with water, if considered necessary.

Heating coils should be flushed or blown through with steam and proved clear of hydrocarbons.

An adjacent fuel oil bunker tank may be considered safe if tests give a reading of less than 1% LFL in the vapour space of the bunker tank, and no heat transfer through the bulkhead of the bunker tank will be caused by the hot work.

Non–inerted ships The possibility of using an external source of inert gas should be considered if practicable.

The compartment should be cleaned, gas freed to hot work standard and ventilated.

Adjacent cargo tanks, including diagonally positioned cargo tanks, should either have been cleaned and gas freed to hot work standard, or completely filled with water.

All slops containing volatile liquid should be either removed from the vessel or isolated in the tank furthest from the hot work location.

Vapour lines to the compartment should also be ventilated to less than 1% LFL and isolated.

Inerted ships The compartment should be cleaned, gas freed to Hot Work standard and ventilated.

All other cargo tanks should be cleaned and the hydrocarbon vapour content reduced to not more than 2% by volume and maintained at that level, or should be completely filled with water.

Consideration should be given to reducing the inert gas pressure for the duration of the hot work.

Inert gas lines to the compartment should be purged with inert gas to not more than 2% by volume and isolated.

Where slops containing volatile liquids remain onboard, consideration should be given to placing them in a tank as far removed from the work location as possible and isolating the tank from the inert gas main for the duration of the hot work.

9.4.4.5 Hot Work on Tank Deck Plating.

Non-inerted ships Hot work on the tank deck plating, or on a structure within 500 mm of the deck plating when the tank is empty, will require precautions for local cleaning and the preparation of surrounding tanks to the same standard as if hot work was being undertaken within the enclosed space below the work location.

Particular attention must be given to ensure the structure below the work location is clean, especially if the structure could be contaminated with cargo residue or wax.

Inerted ships Hot work should be carried out with all adjacent spaces, including the space below the work location, cleaned and inerted as for hot work within an enclosed space. Precautions for cleaning and isolating pipelines serving the space should also be taken.

9.4.4.6 Hot Work Above the Tank Deck

No hot work should be carried out on the deck above bunker tanks containing bunkers, or within 500 mm from such decks.

Non-inerted ships If hot work is to be undertaken at a height greater than 500 mm above the tank deck, cargo and slop tanks within a radius of at least 30 metres around the working area must be cleaned and gas freed to less than 1% LFL.

Adjacent ballast tanks and compartments, other than cargo tanks, should be checked to ensure they are gas free and safe for hot work. If adjacent ballast tanks and compartments are found to contain hydrocarbon liquid or vapours, they should be cleaned and gas freed.

All cargo tanks, except those containing slops, must be cleaned and gas freed to less than 1% LFL. Tanks containing slops should be kept closed and should be more than 30 metres from the work area.

Inerted ships If hot work is to be undertaken at a height greater than 500 mm above the tank deck, cargo and slop tanks within a radius of at least 30 metres around the working area must

be purged and the hydrocarbon vapour content reduced to less than 2% by volume and inerted. All other cargo tanks in the cargo area must be inerted with openings closed.

Adjacent ballast tanks and compartments, other than cargo tanks, should be checked to ensure they are gas free and safe for hot work. If adjacent ballast tanks and compartments are found to contain hydrocarbon liquid or vapours, they should be cleaned and gas freed.

9.4.4.7 Hot Work on Pipelines

Wherever possible, sections of pipelines and related items, such as strainers and valves, should be removed from the system and repaired in the designated space. (See Section 9.4.1.1).

Where hot work on pipelines and valves needs to be carried out with the equipment in place, the item requiring hot work must be disconnected by cold work, and the remaining pipework blanked off. The item to be worked on should be cleaned and gas freed to a ‘safe for hot work’ standard, regardless of whether or not it is removed from the hazardous cargo area.

Where the disconnections from the system are not in the immediate vicinity of the work location, consideration should be given to continuous through ventilation of the pipeline with fresh air and monitoring the exhausting air for hydrocarbon vapour.

Heating coils should be flushed or blown through with steam and proved clear of hydrocarbons.

9.5 WELDING AND BURNING EQUIPMENT

Welding and other equipment used for hot work should be carefully inspected before each occasion of use to ensure that it is in good condition. Where required, it must be correctly earthed. Special attention must be paid when using electric arc equipment to ensure that:

• Electrical supply connections are made in a gas free space.

• Existing supply wiring is adequate to carry the electrical current demand without overloading, causing heating.

• Insulation of flexible electric cables is in good condition.

• The cable route to the work site is the safest possible, only passing over gas free or inerted spaces.

• The earth return cable leads directly back to the welding machine. The ship’s structure should not be used as an earth return.

9.6 OTHER HAZARDOUS TASKS

A ‘hazardous task’ is defined as a task, other than hot work, which presents a hazard to the ship, terminal or personnel, the performance of which needs to be controlled by a risk assessment process, such as a Permit to Work system.

It follows that for each hazardous task, a work permit or controlled procedure should be developed and approved. The permit or controlled procedure should follow the process outlined in Section 9.3 and should be discussed with the personnel who are performing the task.

The procedure, approval and record of compliance, should be retained within the SMS records.