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While a rating was engaged in surface preparation work prior to painting, a small particle entered his eye. As he was reportedly wearing appropriate personal protective equipment, it is thought that the particle entered the space between the chipping goggle lenses and his face via the breather holes in the side, and entered the eye when he wiped perspiration away. The injury was further aggravated when he rubbed his eyes in an effort to obtain relief from the irritation caused by the particle. Fortunately, the rating recovered fully after being given first aid on board.
A similar incident on board another vessel involved a rating engaged in spray painting hatch coamings. In his eagerness to ensure that the underside of a side stringer on the coaming was properly coated, he bent his torso sideways and with his head almost upside down and turned sideways, and with his face less than about 70 cm from the coaming, he squeezed the spray hand-gun. Although his head, face and eyes were protected with a cloth covering and a pair of 'chipping goggles', the powerful spray ricocheted off the coaming and fine spray penetrated the goggles via the side breather holes and entered both the eyes. His workmates rushed him to the nearest eye wash stand in the paint store, and rinsed out his eyes, before escorting him to the ship's dispensary, where the second officer applied eye drops. He recovered fully within an hour.
Root cause/contributory factors
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- Uncovered breather holes on chipping goggles;
- Hot and humid working conditions and failure to wear a 'sweatband';
- Wiping face without due care in grimy conditions;
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- Inadequate protection afforded by chipping goggles for high-pressure airless spray operation;
- Uncovered breather holes on chipping goggles;
- Possibility of goggles becoming displaced from optimum fit during awkward stance;
- Incorrect airless spray painting technique due to inadequate training, briefing and experience, face too close to surface being painted.
Other valuable lessons
- Chipping, blasting, painting with airless spray equipment and even striking a surface or workpiece with a hammer can cause particles and materials to be projected at very high velocities, and require proper risk assessment, briefing, donning of appropriate personal protective equipment and supervision.
- When working in hot ambient conditions, provision should be made to improve ventilation to reduce perspiration.
- Absorbent sweatbands worn above the wearers' eyes will prevent sweat from running down into the eyes
- Suitable supply arrangements should be made for fresh water at or near the work site (eg charged low-pressure small diameter hose or portable gardener-type spray applicator), to enable personnel to efficiently wash off dirt, perspiration and other debris from the face/body without transferring these to delicate parts of the body such as the eye. Crew must be warned that the practice of blowing away dust from the body using compressed air entails serious risk of injury and must be prohibited.
- Consideration to be given to covering the ventilation holes of eye protection equipment with a light filter cloth to stop particles or paint spray from entering the goggles via the breather holes, if appropriate.
The location of the nearest emergency eye washstand must be communicated to every member before commencing operations that pose a risk to the eyes.
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