Date of Issue: March 31, 2001

Hazard Summary

In April 1999, a fatal accident occurred on board a ship when a worker was crushed by a watertight door. The investigation by the Occupational Health and Safety Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Labour and Advanced Education revealed:

• the worker had not been adequately trained in the operation of the watertight door
• instructions on how to operate the door were not posted
• the door switch did not operate properly and should have been replaced
• watertight door alarms operated below the manufacturer's recommended volume and duration levels
• the door was installed upside down. Therefore, the travel limit switches were improperly located at the bottom of the door.

Preventive Measures:

The investigation identified a number of preventive measures for watertight doors which should be implemented to allow for the safe operation of these doors. These include:

• training all personnel in the proper operation of watertight doors and in how to recognize the hazards in operating these doors; also, have periodic follow-up training
• implementing supervision to ensure personnel are operating the doors properly
• posting operating instructions on both sides of the watertight doors
• following manufacturer's installation, operation and maintenance instructions for watertight doors, operating switches, and any associated alarms
• developing and implement a maintenance program based on the manufacturer's installation, operation and maintenance instructions
• installing a time-delay relay that activates a warning horn for at least 5 (five) seconds before the door begins to close
• ensuring the doors are inspected regularly by qualified persons.

Note:

This alert may also apply to other doors, such as gastight, airtight, and weather doors, that are designed to continue to seal an area despite encountering an obstruction in their paths.

Subsection 84(1) of the Occupational Safety General Regulations requires the employer to ensure that a machine that may be a hazard to the health or safety of a person at the workplace is:

• erected, installed, assembled, started, operated, used, handled, stored, stopped, inspected, serviced, tested, cleaned, adjusted, maintained, repaired and dismantled in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications, or,
• where there are no manufacturer's specifications, the specifications certified by an engineer.

Section 84 also requires the employer to ensure:

• the machine's operating limitations as set out in the manufacturer's, or engineer's, specifications are not exceeded;
• that any identified defects with the machine or supplies that affect the safe operation of the machine are repaired or replaced and that the machine and supplies are clearly identified as defective until repaired or replaced.

Training requirements are called up through subsection 13(1)(c) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act - employer to take every reasonable precaution to provide information, instruction, training, supervision and facilities as necessary.

More information can be found in three American Society for Testing and Materials standards relating to doors: ASTM F1197-00 "Standard Specification for Sliding Watertight Door Control Systems", ASTM F1196-00 "Standard Specification for Sliding Watertight Door Assemblies" and ASTM F1073-87 (1999) "Standard Specification for Door Fittings for Watertight, Gastight/Airtight, Weather Doors."