Subpart C
Under 1915.35(a)(1)(i), air-line respirators must be provided and used by employees who are continuously exposed to paint spraying in confined spaces.
Under 1915.35(a)(1)(ii), employees continuously exposed to spray inside tanks or compartments must be protected by air-line respirators, and where mechanical ventilation is provided the respirator protection still must meet the requirements of Subpart I.
Yes. Under 1915.35(a)(1)(iii), employees exposed to spraying with paints mixed with toxic vehicles or solvents in large, well-ventilated areas must still be protected by respirators that meet Subpart I requirements.
Under 1915.35(a)(2), employees doing brush application of paints with toxic solvents in confined spaces or where ventilation is inadequate must be protected by filter respirators that comply with Subpart I.
Under 1915.35(a)(3), employers must take precautions required by 1915.36 when using flammable paints or vehicles.
Under 1915.35(a)(4), the metallic parts of air-moving devices (fans, blowers, jet-type air movers) and all duct work must be electrically bonded to the vessel's structure.
Under 1915.35(b)(1), employers must provide sufficient exhaust ventilation to keep solvent vapor concentrations below ten percent (10%) of the lower explosive limit (LEL) and a competent person must make frequent tests to verify concentrations.
Under 1915.35(b)(2), painting must be stopped and the compartment evacuated if ventilation fails or solvent vapor concentration reaches or exceeds ten percent (10%) of the LEL; work can resume only after the concentration falls below that level.
Under 1915.35(b)(3), ventilation must continue after painting until the space or compartment is gas-free, and the final determination that the space is gas-free must be made after the ventilating equipment has been shut off for at least 10 minutes.
Under 1915.35(b)(4), exhaust ducts must discharge clear of working areas and away from possible ignition sources, and employers must periodically test to make sure exhausted vapors are not accumulating in other vessel or dry dock areas.
Under 1915.35(b)(5) through 1915.35(b)(7), employers must use explosion-proof motors and control equipment, fans with nonferrous blades, nonferrous portable air ducts, and maintain proper grounding. Additionally, tools and staging must be non-sparking and lighting must be explosion-proof and approved for Class I, Group D atmospheres.
Under 1915.35(b)(8), a competent person must inspect power and lighting cables to ensure insulation is in excellent condition (no cracks or worn spots), there are no connections within 50 feet of the operation, lines are not overloaded, and cables are suspended with enough slack to prevent stress or chafing.
Under 1915.35(b)(9), employees handling highly volatile paints must have protection for face, eyes, head, hands, and all other exposed body parts; footwear must be non-sparking (rubber or rubber-soled shoes without nails); outer clothing should be cotton; and rubber gloves are required because plastic gloves can create static sparks.
Under 1915.35(b)(10), matches, lighted cigarettes, cigars, pipes, cigarette lighters, and ferrous articles are not allowed in areas where work with highly volatile paints is being done.
Under 1915.35(b)(11) and 1915.35(b)(12), solvent drums taken into compartments must be placed on nonferrous surfaces and grounded to the vessel; metallic contact must be maintained between containers during transfers. Spray guns, paint pots, and metallic parts of connecting tubing must be electrically bonded and the bonded assembly grounded to the vessel.
Under 1915.35(b)(13) and 1915.35(b)(14), employees continuously working inside compartments where highly volatile paints are used must wear air-line respirators and suitable protective clothing, while employees entering such compartments for limited time and those doing exterior spray must be protected by filter cartridge respirators and suitable protective clothing as required by Subpart I.
The person who performs vapor concentration tests under 1915.35(b)(1) must be a "competent person"—that is, someone capable of recognizing and evaluating hazardous atmospheres and of specifying necessary protection and precautions, as explained in OSHA's shipyard competent person interpretation at https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2016-04-18.
An employer should have a competent person perform frequent tests with appropriate gas/vapor detection instruments calibrated for the solvents in use to verify vapor concentrations are below ten percent (10%) of the LEL, consistent with 1915.35(b)(1).
Under 1915.35(b)(5), fans must have nonferrous blades and portable air ducts should be nonferrous to minimize the risk of sparks from friction or impact that could ignite flammable vapors.
Under 1915.35(b)(9), OSHA requires cotton outer clothing because synthetic materials can generate static charges and ignite more easily, and rubber gloves rather than plastic because rubber is less likely to produce static sparks that could ignite volatile solvent vapors.
Employers must route exhaust so it discharges clear of working areas and away from possible ignition sources and must perform periodic tests to ensure vapors are not accumulating in other areas of the vessel or dry dock, as required by 1915.35(b)(4).
Section 1915.35(b) expects employers to: keep solvent vapor below 10% LEL with adequate ventilation and testing, use explosion-proof motors and lighting, ban open flames and ferrous ignition sources, ground and bond containers and equipment, use non-sparking tools and footwear, and provide appropriate respirators and clothing.
If solvent vapor concentration does not fall after stopping painting, 1915.35(b)(3) requires the employer to provide additional ventilation until the concentration falls below ten percent of the LEL and the space is declared gas-free per the shutdown and 10-minute check.