Afloat, OPNAVINST 5100.19, provide requirements for
may stress the human body as it attempts to regulate its
handling, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials.
temperature. Heat stress becomes excessive when your
body's capability to adjust to heat is exceeded. This
condition produces fatigue, severe headaches, nausea,
AEROSOL DISPENSERS
and poor physical and/or mental performance.
Prolonged exposure to heat stress could cause you to
If personnel deviate from or ignore procedures
have heatstroke or heat exhaustion.
prescribed for selecting, applying, storing, or disposing
of aerosol dispensers, they have been poisoned, burned,
Primary factors that increase heat stress conditions
or have suffered other physical injury. Material Safety
include the following:
Data Sheets (MSDSs) contain specific precautions and
Excessive steam and water leaks
safe practices for handling aerosol dispensers. You can
get MSDSs from your supervisor. However, you can
Boiler air casing leaks
guard against poisoning, fire, explosion, pressure, and
Missing or deteriorated lagging on steam piping
other hazards associated with aerosols by regarding all
aerosols as flammable. You can prevent an injury or
and machinery
hazard by the following basic rules:
Ventilation systems ductwork clogged or an
Poisoning. All areas where people use aerosols
inoperative fan motor
require adequate ventilation. Ventilation is critical if the
Ships operating in hot or humid climates
aerosol is toxic or flammable. Exhaust ventilation is
needed to remove harmful vapors, or additional supply
Dry-bulb thermometers are used to determine the
ventilation to dilute vapors to a safe level. When
heat stress conditions in areas of concern. Permanently
ventilation is inadequate or absent, you must wear
mounted dry-bulb thermometers are installed at watch
respiratory protection.
stations. Readings should be taken and recorded at least
once a watch period. When the reading exceeds 100F,
Chemical Burns. Avoid spraying your hands, arms,
a heat survey must be ordered to determine the safe stay
face, or other exposed parts of the body. Some liquid
time for personnel.
sprays are strong enough to burn the skin, while milder
sprays may cause rashes.
The heat survey is taken with a wet-bulb globe
temperature (WBGT) meter. Then, these readings are
Fire. Keep aerosol dispensers away from direct
compared to the physiological heat exposure limits
sunlight, heaters, and other sources of heat. Do not store
(PHEL) chart. After comparing the readings with the
dispensers in an area where the temperature can exceed
PHEL chart, the safe stay time for personnel can be
the limit printed on the container. Do not spray volatile
determined.
substances on warm or energized equipment.
Refer to OPNAVINST 5100.19 for further
Explosion. Do not puncture an aerosol dispenser.
information on the heat stress program and procedures.
Discard used dispensers in approved waste receptacles
that will not be emptied into an incinerator.
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS
PAINTS AND VARNISHES
Hazardous materials include anything that may
pose a substantial hazard to human health or to the
You must take special precautions when removing
environment because of their quantity, concentration, or
paint from or repainting electrical equipment. In
physical or chemical characteristics when purposefully
general, avoid removing paint from electrical
or accidentally spilled. Hazardous materials include
equipment. If scraping or chipping tools are used on
flammable and combustible materials, toxic materials,
electrical equipment, insulation and delicate parts can
corrosives, oxidizers, aerosols, and compressed gases.
be damaged. Furthermore, paint dust is composed of
his section covers aerosols, paints and varnishes,
abrasive and semiconducting materials that impair the
cleaning solvents, steel wool and emery paper,
insulation. When paint must be scraped, cover all
cathode-ray tubes, and radioactive electron tubes.
electrical equipment, such as generators, switchboards,
motors, and controllers to prevent entrance of the paint
Hazardous Material Control and Management,
dust. After removing paint from electrical equipment,
OPNAVINST 4110.2, and Navy Occupational Safety
thoroughly clean it, preferably with a vacuum cleaner.
and Health (NAVOSH) Program Manual for Forces
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