Dealing with spilled liquids aboard a vessel that’s floating in liquid seems ironic. And yet absorbents are vitally important as shipboard supplies. What kinds to stock, and where to use them, varies of course from ship to ship.
Even small boats and yachts can find a use for absorbents. Any fuel- and lubricant-using operation has the potential for small spills; and these are most efficiently and quickly cleaned up by starting with use of an absorbent. A compact, water-tight The Balanced Scorecard Is An Example Of pail of loose universal absorbent should be kept handy aboard any but the tiniest of boats. And boats with galleys and enclosed engine bays introduce further potentials for spill problems in close quarters where absorbent materials speed cleanup.
Larger ships such as ferries, shuttles, excursion boats, day liners, casino boats, and passenger liners have a multitude of spill potentials. Food service, toilets, lounges, state rooms, recreational facilities, gaming rooms, auto decks, storage rooms and engine rooms, all have distinct spill possibilities of a wide variety of liquids ranging from wine to fuel oil. At this size of ship, in addition to loose absorbents it may be advisable to add a selection of absorbent socks and pillows that can handle larger or more predictable spills. Both universal and oil absorbents find their place aboard larger ships.
With freighters, tankers, and military service vessels such as Coast Guard cutters and Naval ships, the entire gamut of absorbents is needed. Bulk loose absorbents for galleys and dining rooms; pads, rolls, and tablets for machine rooms; absorbent pillows and socks for engine rooms and fuel storage areas; even specialty Define Consumer Service absorbents for specific kinds of cargo such as toxic chemicals – all the absorbents in a safety equipment catalog can find use one place or another. And when you are out to sea, it’s too late to special-order an absorbent without involving difficult delivery problems; best to have them in stock aboard.
A special problem far more likely to occur in a shipboard environment than most other places is spills of fuel or oil in the water alongside. Here special booms containing oil absorbents can be invaluable in preventing or controlling potential major damage to the marine environment. Too many recent news articles have underlined the importance of quickly controlling spills in the water. Foresight and quick action can forestall further tragedies of this sort.
Of course absorbents to be used aboard ships and boats must be stored in moisture-proof packaging to preserve their maximum usefulness in an inherently wet environment. Loose absorbents in particular should be kept in their original, intact packaging or stored in tight drums or cans. Pads, pillows, socks and booms should be kept in waterproof plastic overwraps until used. A sodden absorbent is of little use in handling spills.
The shipboard environment is a classic example of a situation in which the quick and proper use of absorbents is especially indicated. Aboard ship it’s often ill-advised or impossible simply to mop up or flush away spills. Instead spills must be trapped in an absorbent substance that can then be contained and returned to shore for proper disposal.
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