The Head of the Shipping Inspectorate;
Noting
Article 174, first paragraph, of the Ships Decree 1965 and Article 45, first
paragraph, item 1.2.3, of Annex II to that Decree,
Announces:
Article 1
The following requirements apply to electric welding apparatus
which are part of the equipment of ship:
1. the electric
welding apparatus meet the requirements of the standard NEN-EN-IEC 60974-1
(1998+A1:2000) 'Equipment for arc welding';
2. only
electric welding apparatus with the direct voltage indicated in that standard as
zero pinch-off voltage are allowed, which are equipped for the use in an environment
with an increased risk of an electric shock;
3. the zero
pinch-off voltage is not more than 113 volts 'peak';
4.
welding guns, welding cables and connection joints have been designed such that the
parts carrying current have been adequately protected so that they can constitute no
danger to persons or to the environment;
5. electric
welding apparatus, welding guns, welding cables and connection joints have been
properly maintained;
6. the electric welding apparatus are
periodically tested by an expert person or body.
Article 2
Contrary to the provisions in Article 1, electric welding
apparatus which were already part of the equipment of a ship on the date of entry
into force of this Notice, and which do not comply with the provisions in Article 1,
under 1, 2 and 3, may be used on board of that ship until not more than four years
after the date of entry into force as referred to, provided the following
requirements are observed:
1. the electric welding
apparatus with its corresponding apparatus have been composed such that they can
constitute no danger to persons or to the environment and they have been provided in
an endurable and striking way with the instructions and directions necessary for
safe control and use;
2. the electric welding apparatus
with alternating voltage as zero pinch-off voltage are provided with apparatus for
reducing the zero pinch-off voltage till a value of not more than 42 volts or are of
a type of which the secundary voltage at zero pinch-off is not more than 42 volts.
The mentioned value of the reduced zero pinch-off voltage is reached within 0.5
second after switching on the welding apparatus or breaking the obtained arc
welding;
3. the proper functioning of the apparatus for
reducing the zero pinch-off voltage as referred to under 2. guarantees a safe
working method with the electric welding apparatus, also at normally occurring
variations of the voltage and the frequency in the ship's net;
4. the electric welding apparatus with reduced zero pinch-off voltage
are provided with a voltmeter, connected to the connectors at the welding side of
the apparatus, with which the person entrusted with welding activities can determine
at the start of the job that the reduced zero pinch-off voltage prescribed under 2
has been reached within the indicated period;
5. the
voltmeter, as referred to under 4, has been properly constructed and, moreover, has
been protected from mechanical damage. The nominal value of the reduced zero
pinch-off voltage is clearly indicated on the metre scale.
Article 3
The following requirements apply to the performance of welding
activities with electric welding apparatus, irrespective of alternating voltage or
direct voltage is applied:
1. welding activities are only
performed by persons who are sufficiently familiar with the safety requirements to
be observed and who have been entrusted with these activities by the ship's
management. The ship's management has to take into account that the performance of
welding activities can entail risks. Especially in moist spaces and with a high
ambient temperature this risk can be such that it should be considered to let
perform no welding activities in such circumstances;
2. the
person entrusted with the welding activities uses the protective clothing and
devices which belong to these activities;
3. in case of
welding with electric welding apparatus fitted with apparatus for reducing the zero
pinch-off voltage, the person entrusted with the welding activities convinces
himself at the start of the job, with the help of control apparatus mentioned in
Article 2, under 4, that this apparatus functions properly;
4. in unfavourable circumstances, at least two persons are present at
the job during the performance of welding activities, including the person who
performs the welding activities.
Article
4
The Notice to Shipping no.123/1977 of 3 January 1977 (Gov.Gaz. 8)
is withdrawn.
Article 5
This Notice entres into force as of the second day after the date
of the Government Gazette in which it is published.
This Notice, together with its Explanatory Notes, will be publshed
in the Government Gazette, in the Official Gazette of the Netherlands Antilles and
in the Country Gazette of Aruba.
Rotterdam, 12 October 2001.
The Head of the Shipping Inspectorate,
H.G.H.
ten Hoopen.
Explanatory Notes
Two judgments of the Maritime Court of the Netherlands (16/1999
and 21/2000) on accidents during electric welding on board of ships have been the
cause for partially revising the current recommendation in this field, namely Notice
to Shipping no.123/1977 (Gov.Gaz. 8). Besides, a more detailed orientation has
resulted in a revision, implying that electric welding apparatus that belong to the
equipment of a ship and having alternating voltage as zero pinch-off voltage,
whether or not obtained through a so-called voltage reducing relais, are no longer
allowed after a transitory period of four years. After this transitory period of
four years and in case of replacement or purchase withing this period, all electric
welding apparatus being part of the equipment of the ship will have to meet the
standard NEN-EN-IEC 60974-1. Only the requirements concerning direct voltage of this
NEN-EN-IEC standard apply to the zero pinch-off voltage. So the zero pinch-off
voltage mentioned in Article 1, third paragraph with a `peak' value of not more than
113 volts, relates to a direct voltage, plus the maximum ripple. The zero pinch-off
voltage, also called the open arc voltage, concerns the voltage between the mass
clip and the electrode of the electric welding apparatus, where the electrode still
does not contact the piece of work, the so-called welding pause.
Whether the circumstances in which the welding activities are performed on board
are not favourable, is not only determined by the location of the welding activities
itself, but of course also depends on the location where the ship actually is at
that moment. It is, therefore, not exceptional that welding activities can take
place on board of a ship in a so-called 'environment with an increased risk of an
electric shock' because the activities take place in a moist space at a relatively
high ambient temperature. In the standard NEN-EN-IEC 60974-1 'Equipment for arc
welding' a similar circumstance is also indicated as such.
As a
consequence of further developments of the welding technique, electric welding
activities with direct voltage as secundary voltage, which is relatively safer than
alternating voltage, are more often used nowadays. Dit terwijl niet of nauwelijks
sprake behoeft te zijn van een beperking van de mogelijkheid tot het uitvoeren van
reparatiewerkzaamheden door de bemanning zelf.
Furthermore, it is
emphasized that risks during such activities can never be excluded completely. But
because of concurrence of the use of adequate appartus, just in the circumstances
sketched above, as well as (and certainly not less important) observance of the
corresponding procedures, all has been done to make the work situation as safe as
possible. While it is not or hardly a matter of restriction of the possibility for
performing repair activities by the crew itself.
The expert person
or body who performs the periodic testing of the electric welding apparatus as
referred to in Article 1, under 6, may be an independent designated body, a
maintenance service of the supplier or a person appointed by the shipping company or
the ship's management. Whichever choice is made, the expert should in any case have
the education required and should dispose of relevant information to be capable of
performing the testing of the weldig apparatus. How often such a testing should take
place also depends on the type of welding appaatus and the intensity of use. The
master of the ship has to take care of the welding apparatus being adequate and in
good condition. This can be ensured by regularly performing a testing. As a
guidance, one testing per year may apply, but the instructions of the manufacturer
may determine otherwise. The safety requirements as referred to in Article 3, first
paragraph, among other things concern the requirements related to the manually
performed arc welding process, where an electric shock is the major safety risk
which may occur due to unintendedly touching parts which are carrying current.
Protective clothing and devices as referred to in Article 3,
second paragraph, at least mean wearing proper chothing with long sleeves, properly
insulating footwear, the use of a welding apron and welding gloves, eye protection
by means of welding caps and appropriate ventilation of the workstation and/or a
provision for extracting welding smoke. Besides, it is emphasized in relation to
this that during exchanging electrodes (the electrode bekleding is definitely no
insulator) welding gloves also have to be worn. The relevant person also has to use
a dry rubber mat or wooden plate, especially when the welding activities are
performed on his knees.
Unfavourable circumstances ar referred to
in Article 3, fourth paragraph, among others means welding in:
a. spaces with a limited freedom of movement;
b. spaces which are completely of partly surrounded by conducting
parts;
c. spaces with a wet, moist or warm environment.
The draft of this Notice has been reported to the Commission of
the European Communities on 8 June 2001 (notification number 2001/0245/NL), in
compliance with Article 8, first paragraph, of Directive no. 98/34/EC of the
European Parliament and the Council of the European Union of 22 June 1998 concerning
an information procedure in the field of standards and technical requirements and
regulations on the services of the information society (PbEG L 204), as amended by
Directive no. 98/48/EG of 20 July 1998 (PbEG L 217). The notification procedure has
not resulted in amendments of the draft Noticie.
The NEN-EN-IEC
standard mentioned in this Notice is open for public inspection with the Shipping
Inspectorate, 's-Gravenweg 665 in Rotterdam and can be obtained from the Netherlands
Standardisation Institute in Delft.
The Head of
the Shipping Inspectorate,
H.G.H. ten Hoopen.