Painting the Deck

[Captain Kong]

Hi Gwynfor,
That PF4 was evil,
They do not use Butterworth water cleaning for tanks now They discovered that static electricity builds up and a drop of water can cause an explosion. this was tested after a couple of Shell Tankers exploded.
We used crude oil to wash the tanks in the ESSO VLCCs with Butterworth gear. This is done whilst the tank is being discharged, a branch line comes off the main discharge line to the Butterworh machine, and blasts every thing all down the sides and bottom of the tank and so all the sludge is churned up and goes ashore with the cargo, the tanks are left spotless.
Cheers
Brian

[Don Rafferty]

Did anyone else ever come across PF4 .??
Cheers
Brian

Could it be this:




http://www.enerquip.com.au/brochures...KOTE%20PF4.pdf

[Captain Kong]

That is the one Don, Thanks for that.
It is a wonder we have survived after using that stuff for months, in 1954.
Protected Clothing???? All we had was a pair of shorts, and flip flops..It is disgraceful that companies such as SHELL could get away with it, No warnings, No equipment.
We all suffered from it Eyes, and skin burning, breathing difficulties, . It can even cause cancer.
The Mate complaining the deck crowd was going down with these complaints. How was he going to get his work done.
No one interested in the crowds welfare. again bloody disgraceful.
Thanks for the information, Don.
Cheers
Brian.
.
.
.
FLINTKOTE PF-4
damage to respiratory system.
Ingestion of this product may irritate the gastric tract causing nausea and
vomiting.
Skin May cause redness, itching and irritation.
Eye May cause irritation to eyes. Symptoms may include redness, tearing, stinging
and blurred vision.
Chronic Effects Prolonged or repeated skin contact to the bitumen content may lead to
photo-sensitisation and possible melanomas. Prolonged or repeated skin
exposure may lead to dermatitis. Prolonged or repeated inhalation of high
vapour concentrations may have an adverse effect on the central nervous
system.
protection is dependant upon actual airborne concentrations and the type of
breathing protection required will vary according to individual circumstances.
Expert advice may be required to make this decision. Reference should be made
to Australian Standards AS/NZS 1715, Selection, Use and maintenance of
Respiratory Protective Devices; and AS/NZS 1716, Respiratory Protective
Devices..
Eye Protection Safety glasses with side shields, goggles or full-face shield as appropriate
recommended. Final choice of appropriate eye/face protection will vary
according to individual circumstances i.e. methods of handling or engineering
controls and according to risk assessments undertaken. Eye protection should
conform with Australian/New Zealand Standard AS/NZS 1337 - Eye Protectors for
Industrial Applications.
Hand Protection Wear gloves of impervious material. Final choice of appropriate gloves will
vary according to individual circumstances i.e. methods of handling or
according to risk assessments undertaken. Reference should be made to AS/NZS
2161.1: Occupational protective gloves - Selection, use and maintenance.
Body Protection Suitable work wear should be worn to protect personal clothing, eg cotton
overalls buttoned at neck and wrist. When large quantities are handled the use
of plastic aprons and rubber boots is recommended. Industrial clothing should
conform to the specifications detailed in AS/NZS 2919: Industrial clothing.

[Tony Wilding]

Had a similar problem when with Trinity House, useing Turko to de grease and de carbon Pistons and other parts, all done in open tanks ,no protective clothing, only rubber gloves, fumes were lethal, warning on container said , fatal by skin inhalation, and many others, used for years, untill one day i refused, got the union down, then all hell broke loose, but the system of useing it changed, cost TH a fortune in new airtight tanks , fume extraction, special clothing, The Engine Room reeked of it for about 6 weeks while an engine was being overhauled.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi shipmates ,Hi Captain Kong you used the same safety gear as myself on tank washing duties shorts and flip flops , did you have any sunglasses' {rare} or were you a cap man ? remember a neckacheif to keep the sun off back of neck ? The smell of the fumes, I will never forget, and the massive oil slick after the stuff was pump overboard.

[Capt Bill Davies]

Anyone used Gunk for cleaning oily decks?

Bill

[Captain Kong]

Never heard of that one, When had a big blow out on Sea Island in the Gulf, Oil blasting fifty feet in the air from the Chicksan over everything, that was one hell of a clean up. over 1000 feet of fore Deck. and 180 foot beam covered. It was all over Sea Island and in the sea. Not our fault the Chicksan arm severed.
It was done over a long period of time, many days, using degreaser and loads and loads of wads and hoses.

Brian

[denniswalker]

Hi guys reading this total interest. I remember joining the Benhope in Brunei,where she been at anchor for sometime,that when we walked on the deck we were crunching the rust so to speak,what a job chipping and painting the deck especially in the far east,and drydock in singapore. Great memories cheers dennis

[Calvin Kent]

what does it mean to boot top the messes and alleyways, ?

Hi Tony, they were steel decks in crew accommodation so were painted with red boot-topping.

[Louis the Amigo]

Hi Shipmates, Hi Capt bill Davies, Gunk ? was that the stuff that made the oil like milk? or was it the red stuff? swarfegar? or the B.P. stuff cant ' remember the name of that one, but it clean the dobbie like new, did everyship have its own type of cleaners? or is it me had one too many tank fumes?