Asbestos and ships

[Lewis McColl]

Ships vibrate, they twist and flex. Air con or ventilation blower trunking were lagged with the stuff. Boiler casings and exhaust up takes also covered in the stuff.Piping also covered in the stuff. Bibby's had the Lincolnshire shutdown in Rotterdam because of asbestos dust found in the engine room while shore side were to carryout some repairs, I believe the engine room was hovered from top to bottom before the contractors would work in it. The Hampshire had an air sampling testing unit brought onboard as there were concerns about the air quality in the accommodation due to the breakdown of the insulation and fears about asbestos dust.
As someone said asbestos is harmless if left undisturbed , there is simply no way it can be left undisturbed on ships. God have mercy on those who are involved in ship breaking in places like India etc!! They are breathing in this horrible stuff daily, and then they are carrying the dust home to there families and loved ones.

[John Arton]

When we converting a small Korean built chemical tanker in Rotterdam, upgrading the pumping systems, recoating the cargo tanks, removing the radio room and fitting the GMDSS console and completely overhauling the engine room with fitting of new oil mist detector, new compressors, complete boiler refurb. etc. etc.., including a new main engine bed plate to replace the cracked one we discovered, during the accommodation refurbishment we found that the cabin bulkheads were made of dangerous asbestos. This was found when shore engineers were installing new cables for the bridge control and UMS upgrade when the cut into the cable trunking leading from the E/R to the bridge and caused a weeks delay in work whilst the asbestos in that area was safely removed. Later tests showed that cabin bulkheads were all constructed using the same asbestos panels so on the only deck where there was no be no cabin refurbishment all the bulkheads were sealed by applying thin decorative panels of fibre board on top of the original bulkheads with strict instructions posted in those cabins that on no account were the bulkheads to be drilled into or pierced in any ways to attach any fittings. Although the asbestos problem took some time to cure it did not delay the docking as once the crack in the bed plate was discovered we had to send to Japan for a new one, so the original one month docking actually turned into 7 months.
rgds.
J.A.

[Red Lead Ted]

most of the roofing sheets Asbestolux is reasonably safe if cut wet , the tank and pipe lagging often was the blue , all now requires special removal disposal , the previous to 1986 Artex always has white asbestos , safe until sanded or drilled

A job for the fire brigade these days Rob, J,P Has a brother who was left very ill indeed after working for years in the demolition industry Asbestos's a terrible debilitating disease.

[Ralph Knowles]

On one of my earliest ships, SS Ben Mhor, (Penrith Castle) built 1946 in Blyth, There was a mass of monkey dung used as 'blanket' insulation on the top of the Foster Wheeler steam drums and most of the large steam pipes to the manoeuvring valves and on to the three stage Parsons turbine set. The only thing which was not insulated was the hot feed water tank which was situated immediately below the manoeuvring platform with just three inches of space between the tank at over 90C and the foot plates. We had two inches of cork boards to stop our feet burning. In the tropics, at full ahead, with the sun streaming vertically through the deck lights, the asbestos particles twinkled like Christmas lights. The 'monkey dung' came in bags, and I think it was pre-mixed with gypsum, wetted down with water to a putty like sludge and reinforced with chicken wire. The vibration of the HP steam blasting through the pipes abraded the dung and released all this micro fibre. I now consider myself lucky that there has been no consequences from this. Nasty stuff. Blowing tubes is another story, maybe some other time. RGK

[Fouro]

Ralph, many thanks for entering your well written post #24.

Best Regards,
from Fouro.

[Des Taff Jenkins]

HI All.
My brother-in-law died from Mesothelioma 12 years ago, he was a pipe fitter for a fire mob, in 1964 he was working on a high rise in Auckland putting in a new system, the whole building was a dust deceases disaster though they didn't know it at the time, the Dr said he had that encapsulated in his lungs for years, we think he disturbed it when he was using a big hammer to break up some concrete 18 month s before he passed away.
I was the Union delegates that banned asbestos from Westmead Hospital when it was being built, and was part of the group that had it banned permanently from the building industry in N.S.W. Unfortunately too late for my Brother-in law.
I well remember the thick bands of it around the winch pipes, a mate who was at the Vindi with me died in the 70s from working on them at sea.
Cheers Des

[happy daze john in oz]

Des, I often wonder how many of the older houses in NSW particularly that have asbestos in them without any one knowing?
Many built just before or after WW2 will no doubt have a fair amount in them.

[John Pruden]

is any asbestos used on modern day shipping just a question is there any replacement for it? jp

[Lewis McColl]

Pretty sure there is not these days John , think they use Rock wool type materials now.

https://phys.org/news/2013-04-safer-...ials-ship.html

Not sure though about packing and jointing , gland valve packings, Also what the likes of the windless brake bands are made from.

[vic mcclymont]

Some scientists believe that fibre glass insulation is the next asbestos in eating. One only has to look at the amount of fibres in the airwhen the sheeting is being cut.
Vic