A healthy ship is a happy ship: Avoiding the risks of air duct contamination

Original article published in the January 2023 edition, Issue 12, The Marine Insurer magazine.

Guido Gavio of BELFOR explains how to ensure that crews live, work and breathe healthily while onboard.

There is a misconception regarding the air quality that mariners are exposed to while on board a vessel. The common belief is that merchant mariners spend almost all their time breathing fresh sea air when onboard. But nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that nearly all their time is spent inside a closed environment.

This includes sleeping and relaxing in staterooms, having a meal or doing laundry, the gym, or watching a movie or TV, then working inside the wheelhouse, galley or engine room for 12 or more hours a day, seven days a week, for weeks or months at a time.

To simplify the above explanation, all merchant mariners have breathed a lot of “indoor air.” Studies conducted by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicate that indoor air pollution may be two to five times worse than outdoor pollution in a large city.

DANGEROUS DUST

During BELFOR Restoration Services’ inspections on ships, we have observed dust accumulating under the ventilation system diffusers or air vents, and in many instances, the diffusor itself covered with dust. We have observed this in common areas and staterooms and pretty much all over the accommodation areas, bridge and engine control room.

The dust not only accumulates in the vents but also inside the HVAC system like motors, blowers, heat exchangers and ducting.

If you were to inspect the dust closely with a microscope, you would be shocked at what you would find.
Particles such as flakes of dead skin, hair and insect remains make up the dust. This eventually creates a dense, mat-like environment in which bacteria, mould, dust mites and allergens can flourish.

“Statistics also have shown that mariners are more likely to have impaired lung function and are more likely to have asthma, fatigue, and heart disease because of long term exposure to poor indoor air quality.’’ – Guido Gavio, BELFOR Restoration Services

No wonder the indoor air quality, in many cases, is so much worse than the outside air pollution of a busy city. This is not good news for mariners who spent most of their time indoors, despite breathing the fresh air outside.

Statistics also have shown that mariners are more likely to have impaired lung function and are more likely to have asthma, fatigue, and heart disease because of long term exposure to poor indoor air quality.

In addition to these health hazards, there is a high risk of fire hazards as a result of dust and grease build-up in the galleys’ exhaust ducting pipes. It can lead to devastating consequences if a fire occurs because it will cause the fire and smoke to spread to other parts of the Vessel.

ESSENTIAL MAINTENANCE

To ensure the safety of your crew members and vessels, it is essential to maintain the air ducts properly at regular intervals. BELFOR Restoration Services has the expertise, personnel and the right equipment to provide the proper solutions to keep the risk as low as possible.

Mould remediation is a complex process involving much more than simply spraying and wiping clean the affected surfaces.

Large-scale mould removal requires expert knowledge and specialised equipment to carry out the remediation work. Certain situations require mould removal specialists to guarantee effective remediation, regardless of the size of the impacted area.

In addition to mould remediation, reducing the fire hazards associated with the contamination of exhaust pipes from galleys is also a task that requires trained personnel, equipment and the right chemicals.
The process of decontamination and removal of fire hazards from exhaust ducts on galleys is very different to the decontamination of air ducts.

BELFOR Restoration Services has developed methods and trained personnel to carry out the decontamination of air ducting and exhaust systems successfully at short notice when required. We have worked in cruise ships, oil tankers, container ships, FPSO vessels, oil rigs and accommodation platforms, to name a few.