Operational planning

• Pages: 47-76

47

7. Operational planning

7.1. General requirements

7.1.1. The breaking of a ship can be divided into the

three core phases – preparation, deconstruction and material

(scrap) stream management – these may be further sub-

divided to identify the constituent work processes. By seg-

menting the shipbreaking process, individual tasks and con-

sequently the tasks hazardous to the safety and health of

workers can be more easily identified and quantified. The

breaking of a ship using this approach can therefore be

undertaken in a controlled and managed manner so that the

safety and health of workers can be protected by eliminating

or minimizing any risks involved with the work to be under-

taken. An example of this type of approach is shown in

the model safe shipbreaking plan (figure 1). The plan be-

comes ship-specific when a particular ship’s details are ap-

plied to it.

Operational planning

7.1.2. The safe execution of each core phase is depend-

ent on safe working practices and processes being adopted

and the provision of advance information concerning the

physical characteristics of the ship and the dangers presented

by wastes – hazardous and otherwise – remaining on board or

inherent in the vessel when presented for breaking. In this re-

gard, an inventory of materials together with details of the

ship in the form of drawings, plans, logbooks detailing tank

dispositions, etc., are essential if the deconstruction is to be

planned and conducted in a safe manner. The “green pass-

port” system (see below) would provide some of the informa-

tion required, but reliance solely on this information may

lead to other aspects of the workplan being overlooked.

Safety and health in shipbreaking

48

7.1.3. In all instances involving the deconstruction of

ships, shipbreakers must prepare plans in advance to ensure

the safety and health of workers. The three core phases ap-

proach is one of many systemized approaches which can be

adopted and used to develop a safe shipbreaking plan. In-

deed, a shipbreaker may choose to follow a plan that em-

braces the requirements of the Guidelines on occupational

safety and health management systems, ILO-OSH 2001 (see

Chapter 4) or other management system that encompasses

protection of the safety and health of workers. Whichever

system is employed, advance information and planning is es-

sential to safeguard the safety and health of those engaged in

Ship-specific details and inventory

Preparation Deconstruction Material stream

management

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Figure 1. Model safe shipbreaking plan

National and

industry regulatory

requirements

Verification

of stated waste

materials and

ship details

Location and

marking of

inventory materials

Decontamination

Shutting down and

decommissioning

.

Safe work

principles,

prevention measures

and precautions

.

Identification of

work operations,

scheduling of work

.

Allocation and

deployment of

human resources

.

Determination and

placement of tools,

equipment and

facilities

Secondary

deconstruction

Sorting

Separation

Reception facilities

and storage

Disposal

Recycling