Hot work hazards: Fact sheet warns about toxic exposures from maritime vessel coatings

Washington — Evaluating and controlling hazards that stem from preservative coatings during hot work on maritime vessels is the subject of a new fact sheet from OSHA.

Despite recent changes to preservative coatings that eliminate elements such as lead, chromium, cadmium, zinc or polychlorinated biphenyls, “the potential for worker exposure to compounds at dangerous concentrations still exists.” Heat applied to preservative coatings can result in the release of flammable or harmful gases, vapors and aerosols, leading to exposures above OSHA’s permissible exposure limit.

The fact sheet outlines the evaluation of preservative coatings and techniques for preventing exposures to toxic substances. It also features a flowchart for the evaluation and control of preservative coatings during hot work, as well as a list of additional resources.