Winter 2008 Issue

ASSOCIATION BUSINESS

2008 meetings: The Marine Chemist Association Meetings for 2008 will be as follows:

  • Gulf-Inland Sectional: Houston Hobby Airport Hilton, Houston, TX, Saturday, March 15 (ExCom
  • Sunday, March 16, same place). Tel: 713/645-3000
  • Pacific Sectional: Sienna Hotel, Reno, NV, Saturday, March 29. Tel: 877/743-6233
  • Atlantic Sectional: Norfolk Airport Hilton, SUNDAY, April 6. Tel: 757/466-8000
  • 50th MCA Annual Seminar: Renaissance Hotel Seattle, WA, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, August 11, 12 & 13. tel: 206/583-0300 (Note: ExCom: Sunday, August 10)

Sectional Seminars Topics – Discussions will include NFPA 306-2008 Edition, submitted to NFPA for approval at its next annual meeting. Note: There are significant changes in how the recipient of the certificate in a multiple-employer situation is directed to maintain the certificate, and the program will focus on this at the spring Sectionals. In addition, OSHA’s Maritime Standards Office Amy Wangdhal will give a presentation and OSHA update at the Houston/Gulf-Inland Sectional (her presentations will be carried and made to the Atlantic and Pacific Sectionals.) Discussion on OSHA Notice of Proposed Rule Making (NPRM) regarding General Working Conditions in Shipyard Employment will be discussed. This is important in that this is how OSHA expects shipyards to deal with Lock-out/Tag-out issues. Shipyards were exempt from 29CFR1910.147 – Control of Hazardous Energy Sources, the General Industry LO/TO regulations. Reviewers of the NPRM have commented that these regulations, as proposed, will be expensive for shipyards to implement. There will also be a presentation on the OSHA NPRM on ConfinedSpaces in Construction, and certificate-writing issues as well.

Text of Key Proposed Changes to

306/2008 Edition – NOTE: these will not become final and are not to be considered applicable until approved by NFPA at its next annual meeting (World safety Congress), scheduled 2-5 June, 2008 in Las Vegas. The following are considered by the MCA voting members of the 306 committee to be the most substantive changes recommended and approved by the Technical Committee on Gas Hazards at its Report on Comments meeting at theUS Department of Labor, Washington DC, September 11 & 12.

Regarding: 4.6.2 Maintaining the Certificate:

“4.6.1(D) – Only one requestor will be listed on a Certificate. The requestor is responsible for providing a complete statement of the scope of work. The requestor listed on the Certificate will be responsible for maintaining the Certificate in accordance with section 4.6.2 and 29 CFR 1915.15. If the requestor is a host employer in a multi -employer workplace then the host employer will be responsible for maintaining the Certificate for all contract employers unless the host employer requires a contractor employer to obtain and maintain their own Certificate.”

Related to this, In the Annex:

A4.6.1(D) The requestor is the company or entity who requested the survey by the Marine Chemist and is listed at the top of the Marine Chemist Certificate

Add Definitions (Chapter 3): Requestor – A company or entity who requests the survey by the Marine Chemist and is listed on the Certificate (top of Certificate form repeated here for clarity).

Multi-employer workplace – a workplace where there is a host employer and at least one contract employer.

Host employer– an employer who is in charge of coordinating work or who hires other employers to perform work at a multi-employer workplace.

Contract employer – an employer, such as a welder, burner, grinder, painter, or other sub-contractor, who performs work under contract to the host employer or to another employer under contract to the host employer at the host employer’s worksite.

Also: Modify paragraphs s 4.6.1 (A), (B), (C), 4.6.2 and 4.6.2(5) to replace “vessel repairer, shipbuilder, or vessel builder” or “vessel repairer, shipbuilder, vessel builder, owner or their representative” with “requestor”.

Regarding: 4.3, Standard Safety Designations:

Safe For Hot Work:

4. 3.4(4) All spaces adjacent to cargo tanks certified “SAFE FOR HOT WORK” have been cleaned sufficiently of residues, scale, or preservative coatings to prevent the spread of fire; or are inerted. All other spaces adjacent to spaces certified “SAFE FOR HOT WORK” shall be treated as deemed necessary by the Marine Chemist and acknowledged on the Certificate.

Also: Remove “fixed tanks” from places to which it was added by first committee meeting in February.

Amy Sly Certificated by NFPA: In a long-awaited and landmark move, the first woman marine chemist to achieve valid certification by NFPA has taken her place among the brethren.

The MCQB certified Amy Sly, CMC 706, in October, taking effect November 1. Amy has taken a position with Sound Testing along with Don Sly (her father), Craig Trettevik, and Philip Dovinh. In addition to training with Don, Craig, and Philip, Amy trained with Tom Govey, Tom Littlepage and Ken Mercer.

Amy comes especially well-qualified to enter the profession, with a BS in chemistry from Seattle University and a master’s degree in industrial hygiene from Washington State. Her dad has stated she’s doing an amazing job at the table in our historically male-dominated industry. In less than two months on the job, Amy has already been to Dutch Harbor, Kodiak, Juneau and Ketchikan, as well as all over the waterfront in Seattle. Don comments that, “she has represented us and the profession with grace and intelligence.” Don and Amy extend their thanks to her training chemists, and Larry Russell and Guy Colonna for their selfless help.