Subpart D - Section 1915.53

Section 1915.53 of Subpart D provides precautions and protections that must be applied whenever cutting, welding, or heating is performed on a surface that is covered by a preservative coating. If the flammability of the coating is unknown, a test must be done by a competent person to determine whether the scrapings of the coating burn very quickly. If so, the coating is considered to be highly flammable, and steps must be taken to prevent ignition.

These steps may include stripping the paint from the surface to be heated, or, if shipbreaking, the coatings may be burned away under controlled conditions. Employees must also be protected from the dangers of heating toxic coatings. In closed areas, surfaces must be stripped of the coating at least four inches around the area that will be heated. In open air, the employee must be provided with an air-line respirator. In some cases, the area upon which the hot work will be performed will be coated by a soft, greasy preservative that may be flammable. This coating must be tested, and, if flammable, removal is required.

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