General Tank Coating

Code of Practice
for New Constructions
and Refurbishments

Issue April 2008

 FOREWORD

The intention of this Code of Practice is to highlight the vital factors regarding
planning and execution of work by the use of protective coatings in aggressive
tank environments. Valuable, and in theory sufficient, information regarding this
can be found in the technical data sheets for the products to be used. However, it
has been found required to present some more background information to secure
that the personnel involved understand and practise the requirements set forth in
tank projects.

In order to obtain maximum coating performance, factors like surface cleanliness

and profile, a continuous paint film of appropriate thickness and proper curing of the
coating system are all of high importance. We would also mention the maintenance
of a safe working environment. This will provide good working conditions and
thereby form a sound basis for achievement of the required final quality.

Jotun will underline that a coating system’s performance is determined by the

skill and knowledge of personnel involved in the work procedures. One cannot
take for granted that a painting contractor, although well reputed, possesses the
special competence required for the surface preparation, coating application or
other operations involved in tank coating.

Furthermore, most coating failures are the result of simple omissions and
application errors. Coating successes, on the other hand, are the result of
thorough planning and skilled craftsmanship.

This Code of Practice addresses critical factors of special importance to obtain

the maximum protective lifetime of Jotun’s coatings. It does not contain detailed
descriptions of various procedures in the coating process. Its intention is rather
to pinpoint the individual elements that may have great impact on the coating’s
performance in the long run.

Following these guidelines will help the smooth running of any coating project.
However, because local conditions differ around the world, discussion with
Jotun’s local Technical Sales Support department is recommended on any
contentious subjects.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 2 of 24

 CONTENTS

Foreword 2
Contents 3
1 Scope and field of application 4
2 General 5
2.1 The Painting Contractor 5 Click on Chapter/Sub-chapter in Contents to
2.2 The Coating Advisor 5 go to relevant page.
2.3 The Owner’s representative 5 To return to Contents page click on bottom
2.4 The Contractor (shipyard or construction company) 5 left heading ‘General Tank Coating Code of
2.5 Jotun Technical Sales Support department 5 Practice.’
2.6 Rules for cooperation 5
2.7 Planning 6
2.8 Pre-project meeting 6
2.9 Follow-up meetings 6
3 Tank condition prior to work start-up 7
4 Scaffolding 8
4.1 General 8
4.2 Access 8
4.3 Dismantling and removal 8
5 Basic work sequence for tank coating 9
5.1 New constructions 9
5.2 Refurbishment 10
6 Surface preparation 11
6.1 General 11
6.2 Pre-blasting welds (for tanks in block sections) 11
6.3 Steel preparation work 11
6.4 Degreasing and cleaning 12
6.4.1 General recommendations 12
6.4.2 Washing procedures 12
6.5 Abrasive blast cleaning 13
6.5.1 Ambient conditions, ventilation and protection from rain 13
6.5.2 Abrasives 13
6.5.3 Air supply 14
6.5.4 Removal of dust and abrasives 14
6.6 Steel surface assessment prior to coating application 14
6.7 Boiler suits etc 15
7 Coating application 16
7.1 General 16
7.2 Film thickness, types and number of coats 16
7.3 Ambient conditions 17
7.4 Ventilation and dehumidification 17
8 Health and Safety 19
8.1 General 19
8.2 Safety preparations 19
8.3 Scaffolding safety 19
8.4 Elimination of ignition sources 20
8.5 Management of solvent vapour concentration 21
8.5.1 General advice 21
8.5.2 Ventilation and air exchange 21
8.5.3 Finding the required ventilation rate 22
8.5.4 Monitoring the ventilation system 24

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 3 of 24

1. Scope and field of application

This Code of Practice deals with various aspects related to protection of steel,
exposed to aggressive water or cargo of different kinds, by use of specialized
coatings. It lays down a set of rules required to obtain optimal service life of
coatings in corrosive environments. The document treats tanks both at the new
building / block stage and at the refurbishment stage.

This Code of Practice is intended both for marine, offshore and land based
tanks. The principles are the same, although choice of products and practical
arrangements may differ.

Requirements that are found in each product’s technical or safety data sheet are
not included in the present document.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 4 of 24

2 General

2.1 The Painting Contractor

The Painting Contractor is responsible for carrying out the work in accordance
with the relevant technical data sheets and coating specification. He shall take
corrective action in the case of non-compliance with specifications.

The Painting Contractor is the party employed to carry out the part of the
project that includes surface preparation and application of the coating system.
The Painting Contractor selected for surface preparation and application of the
coating system should be an organisation approved by Owner, Contractor (i.e.
the company constructing the tank) and Jotun.

2.2 The Coating Advisor

The Coating Advisor acts on behalf of Jotun to secure and record that all work
is carried out in accordance with the agreed specifications; cooperating with the
Contractor’s and Owner’s coating representatives.

2.3 The Owner’s representative

The Owner’s Representative is authorised to represent the Owner in matters
related to the coating operation. In particular, he is responsible for providing
written confirmation to the Contractor and Jotun of all intended use of the tanks
to be coated.

2.4 The Contractor (shipyard or construction company)

The Contractor is responsible for all repairs of damage to the coating system
caused by welding, burning, mechanical impact etc.

2.5 Jotun Technical Sales Support department

The Technical Sales Support department of Jotun shall assist in technical matters
regarding special circumstances that might occur during the coating operation
and afterwards.

2.6 Rules for cooperation

All work should be performed in accordance with this Code of Practice, Jotun’s
Technical Data Sheets and the coating specification. Proposed alterations to the
specification or work procedures must be approved by all parties before a written
alteration to the relevant document is issued and distributed.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 5 of 24

2.7 Planning
A proper planning of the entire operation is absolutely critical for successful
work performance, which in turn is a prerequisite for obtaining optimal
protection by the applied coating system.

Planning must cover all phases of the coating operation and its intention shall be
to secure the correct quality of work and a safe working environment. A detailed
work plan should include the scheduling of all operations to be carried out
before, during and after application of the coating system. The work plan should
be available to the Coating Advisor prior to the start of any work related to the
coating operation.

2.8 Pre-project meeting

A pre-project preliminary meeting shall be arranged before any coating-related
work starts. Representation from all involved parties; Owner, Contractor,
Painting Contractor and Jotun is compulsory. The pre-project meeting must
settle all matters of importance to the scope of work, and make available
all documentation necessary to carry out the work in accordance with the
requirements and specifications.

The Coating Advisor and/or other Jotun Representatives shall use this meeting to
ensure that the other parties are familiar with the products to be used, the coating
specification, safety data sheets etc. Furthermore, responsibilities are to be
stressed, i.e. possible consequences of any non-conformances, and the Painting
Contractor’s obligation to follow up his own work during the whole operation,
including compliance with Jotun’s specifications.

2.9 Follow-up meetings

Decisions about regular follow-up meetings are also to be made in the pre-
project preliminary meeting. Meeting frequency and participation shall be agreed
upon. The follow-up meetings should be set to discuss or review the following
points:

• Unpredictable difficulties hindering the ordinary work progress

• Deviations from specifications

• Elements to add to, or delete from, the work schedule

• Conditions effecting compliance with specification

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 6 of 24

3 Tank condition prior to work start-up

Before starting the work it is essential that the tanks are in a suitable condition.

All vulnerable fittings should be masked off with a suitable protective material to
avoid possible damage.

All hot work within the tank and at its outside must be completed before grit
blasting takes place (in order to avoid formation of mill scale and weld fumes,
which is not easily removed by grit blasting).

It shall be understood by all parties that illumination will be a critical

prerequisite to achieve the correct coating quality, safely and in good time.
Adequate electrically safe illumination by means of both spotlights and
background lights must be available, and accepted by the coating inspector.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 7 of 24

4 Scaffolding

4.1 General
A suitable and safe system for temporary scaffolding is to be provided. The
construction shall permit easy cleaning operations. It should be possible to
conveniently ‘turn’ all boards so that grit and dust can be easily removed.
Scaffolding tubes are to be capped at open ends using wooden or hard rubber
stoppers. Taping the ends is not recommended.

4.2 Access
The scaffolds must provide free access to all surfaces to be treated without
having to move planks or erect temporary ladders. It must also provide adequate
working space and support for the maximum numbers of workers. The scaffold
design must not hinder ventilation in any way.

The scaffolds shall have a minimum distance of 30 cm to surfaces to be treated,

and about 2 m between each level. Sufficient space should be available, allowing
the operator to do his work properly, and to move from level to level fast and
efficiently.

4.3 Dismantling and removal

The scaffolds shall not be dismantled before the upper areas of the tank have
been fully coated and accepted. The utmost care not to destroy the coating must
be taken during dismantling and removal. Any damage to the coating should be
repaired in accordance with the original specification.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 8 of 24

5 Basic work sequence for tank coating

5.1 New constructions

There are a few internationally accepted principles that apply for all coatings
work. For a specific project these principles must be kept in mind even if the
situation seems difficult and not ideal for coating work. The general sequence is:
• Steel repair work (if required), removal of weld spatter and sharp edges etc
• Solvent washing, in order to remove fat and oil (i.e. dirt that is solvent
soluble)
• Water washing, to remove dirt that is water soluble. (This includes weld
fumes and salts.) Use of an alkaline detergent will also remove minor
amounts of oil and fat.
• Blast cleaning to obtain a suitable roughness for the coating to adhere well.
• Dust and grit removal
• Paint application

The order is important. If, for instance, blast cleaning is done prior to washing,
the contaminants will be smeared into the surface, and the subsequent washing
will probably not remove them adequately.

For ships where the ballast tanks are constructed as integral parts of block
sections, coating work will take place both at the block stage and at the assembly
stage. Hence, one may find it required to repeat some of the steps above.

For all new building projects it may be difficult to obtain a satisfactory steel
surface roughness at all places. In particular, the erection joint welding seams
and plate edges that have been made by flame cutting may not have the desired
roughness. If possible, manual grinding should be undertaken if no other means
are acceptable.

As soon as possible after the surface pre treatment, the first coat of paint should
be applied all over the tank. In this way one avoids that bare steel areas are left
uncoated for prolonged times, possibly resulting in contamination and rusting.
After a first coat the normal procedure will be to apply two stripe coats, each in a
contrasting colour, before the next full coat.

For a tank coating job the tank may be split is sections, where the work is
finished section wise. A typical situation may be that the upper part of the tank
is being coated while leaving the lower part untreated or partly coated and
protected by a temporary shield.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 9 of 24

 After the coating work is done one may require a test to check for holidays.
For ships the tank is filled with seawater for a day or two, and inspected after
drainage. Touch up at spots revealing rust is then to be undertaken. Alternatively,
high or low voltage holiday detection may be employed for the same purpose.
There also exist specially pigmented coatings where holidays may be detected
by shining ultra violet light onto the surface.

5.2 Refurbishment
For refurbishment blast cleaning may not be permitted, and water jetting with or
without abrasives may be an alternative. In this case it must be ensured that the
water is sufficiently clean, and the pressure at the nozzle high enough to ensure
an adequate cleaning result. A thorough water removal (as well as removal
of the abrasives, if employed) and drying must be made as soon as the water
jetting is finished, in order to avoid flash rust. A drawback associated with water
jetting is that it does not produce roughness. Insufficient steel work at the new
building stage may thus have consequences for the coating work at subsequent
refurbishment jobs.

As can be concluded from the considerations above, wet abrasive blasting will
be efficient both with regard to removing dirt and salts, produce roughness and
maintain a good working environment (without the blast cleaning dust problem),
all in one operation. However, the practical arrangements required in order to
remove wet grit from a tank may prevent widespread use of the wet abrasive
blasting method.

The existing tank coating must be assessed with regard to type and present
condition. Its compatibility with the new system must be verified. Care should
also be taken to obtain a smooth overlap between the old coating and bare steel
areas resulting from paint damage. It may be necessary to sweep blast or in other
ways roughen the surface, as well as cleaning it.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 10 of 24

6 Surface preparation

6.1 General
The cleanliness and surface roughness shall be assessed according to the ISO
8501 and 8503-2 standards, respectively, unless otherwise specified in the
technical data sheets.

Some coatings may be applied onto surfaces that are cleaned by way of Water
Jetting or Wet Abrasive Blast Cleaning. For these surfaces reference is made to
SSPC-VIS 4 / NACE VIS 7 and SSPC-VIS 5 / NACE VIS 9, respectively.

For a tank where a previous coating is not being removed (e.g. a shop primer,
or at refurbishment), special care must be taken not to damage this coating. On
the other hand, the old coating must be made thoroughly clean. Fresh water
washing, when required also with solvent borne or water borne detergents should
be employed as required. Similarly, sweep blasting or other means of creating a
rough surface may be required to obtain sufficient adhesion.

Likewise, sweep blasting must be done when an old glossy and hard coating,
typically a coal tar epoxy coating, is to be re-coated. Instead of sweep blasting
sand paper (or emery paper) may be employed in order to obtain sufficient
surface roughness of old paint.

6.2 Pre-blasting welds (for tanks in block sections)

Prior to the steel preparation work all welds should be blast cleaned to visual
cleanliness standard Sa 2½ ISO 8501:1 1988. This is in order to open any hidden
weld blowholes, and to facilitate fast and efficient detection of steel surface
defects thereafter. Grit and dust must be removed after the pre-blasting.

6.3 Steel preparation work

The steel should be prepared so that a smooth surface contour is obtained. This is
a prerequisite for obtaining a continuous coating of appropriate thickness. Sharp
edges should be rounded by using a grinder or disc sander to get approximately
2 mm radius as a minimum (r =2 mm). Practically this can be obtained by way
of three passes with a grinding tool on the edges.

Weld spatter must be thoroughly removed.

Undercuts and surface indentations with a depth exceeding 0.8 mm and a width
less than its depth should be repaired by welding and grinding. Weld blowholes
shall be repaired by welding and grinding.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 11 of 24

 Rough weld seams are to be smoothed by grinding. The surface irregularities
should not exceed 2 mm. Overlap welding beads with sharp notches are to
be repaired by welding and grinding. Gas cut surfaces must be smoothed by
grinding.

Air driven tools for steel repair and cleaning are commonly oil lubricated, and
oil may come out of the exhaust pipe within the tank. Special care should be
taken to avoid this. Any oil contamination must be thoroughly removed by use of
a suitable solvent after steel repair and smoothing / cleaning work.

If the steel repair work will not be succeeded by blast cleaning, steps should be
taken to produce some roughness at this stage. Grinding roundels, fibre discs
with particles (‘Scotch-Brite Clean N Strip’ wheels, or equivalents) and sand
paper should be considered. Wire brushes should be avoided, as the wires will
tend to polish the steel surface rather than create roughness.

6.4 Degreasing and cleaning

6.4.1 General recommendations

Degreasing and cleaning shall be carried out prior to grit blasting in order to
prevent contamination of the steel during blasting. Both organic (grease and
oil) and inorganic (particularly salts) contaminations should be removed before
blast cleaning. If blasting is done prior to cleaning; grease, oil, salt and dirt may
be smeared into the roughened steel surface thus making subsequent cleaning
difficult and time consuming. For this reason it is, in case of refurbishment jobs,
important to break any intact blisters before washing is performed, so that the
blister contents may be removed.

Verification that the steel surface is sufficiently clean should, however, be done
after grit blasting (or water jetting) has taken place. This is in order to ensure
that the blasting / jetting process has not contaminated the surface after the
degreasing and cleaning operations.

6.4.2 Washing procedures

Remove oil and grease deposits using scrubbing brushes and a water-based
alkaline degreasing detergent. Repeat this process until water no longer ‘snakes’
or ‘beads’ when poured down the surface. After degreasing, all tank surfaces
must be high-pressure fresh water washed to remove traces of detergent and
contaminations such as acidic weld smoke residues and traces of sea water salts.
These species will, beneath a coating, lead to blistering by an osmotic effect.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 12 of 24

 For large areas, apply the detergent through airless spray equipment. Start at
the bottom of the tank and work upwards. After the detergent has been on the
surface for 20-30 minutes, it should be rinsed off by steam-cleaning (preferably)
or by high-pressure water washing. The water used for steam cleaning or water
washing must be of a suitable quality and approved by Jotun in advance. The
rinsing should start at the bottom of the tank and go upwards, following the
course taken when applying the detergent. All detergent should be thoroughly
removed so that no foaming occurs when water is applied to the surface.

Note: Why start cleaning at the bottom, moving upwards? Because this will
make the surface more evenly clean. If one starts at the top the dirt will tend to
accumulate on the lower areas.

6.5 Abrasive blast cleaning

6.5.1 Ambient conditions, ventilation and protection from rain and dust

Condensation of water onto the steel surface must be avoided during blast
cleaning. Hence the steel temperature must be kept at least 3ºC above the dew
point of air. The relative humidity must be kept sufficiently low throughout
the blasting operation until immediately prior to application of the first coat.
If required, this must be accomplished by way of dehumidification equipment.
Care should be taken to produce a positive pressure inside the tank, so that no
moist air from the outside will get into the tank.

During the grit blasting operation, forced ventilation may be required to give
adequate visibility for the operator. A flexible ventilation system should be used
to get dusty air out, and fresh air in.

In connection with manholes, ladders and tank entrances adequate covering must
be provided to prevent water, dust or other contaminants from entering the work
areas during grit blasting and thereafter.

In the case of wet abrasive blasting the relative humidity requirements become
irrelevant. However, to suppress the tendency to flash rusting, the tank should be
dried to max 85% relative humidity as soon as possible after blasting.

6.5.2 Abrasives

The selected abrasive medium must be compatible with both the surface to be
blast cleaned and the specified coating system. The abrasives shall meet relevant
specifications as per ISO 11124-2 & 3 (metallic abrasives), or ISO 11126-2 to 8
(non-metallic abrasives). Sampling for check should be done according to ISO
11125-1 (metallic) or ISO 11127-1 (non-metallic), and tested according to ISO
11125-2 to 7 or ISO 11127-2 to 7 as appropriate.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 13 of 24

 The abrasives and the blasting equipment should be stored in a dry place in order
to prevent moisture pickup thus resulting in clogging.

Recycling of used abrasives is prohibited unless approved by Jotun.

6.5.3 Air supply

A minimum air pressure of 7 bar at the nozzle is required to obtain acceptable

surface cleanliness and profile within an acceptable time frame. The supply
of clean air to the blasting pots must be secured to avoid contamination of the
abrasives and thereby the blast cleaned surfaces. Compressors must be fitted
with sufficient traps for oil and water. It is also recommended to fit two water
separators in succession at the blasting machine to ensure a supply of moisture-
free air to the abrasive chamber.

6.5.4 Removal of dust and abrasives

Surface preparation shall not be considered complete until the blast cleaned
surface is free of dust and particles that may remain on the surface. Vacuum
cleaning will be required.

A recommended practice is to employ stiff fibre brushing followed by vacuum

cleaning, or to attach a stiff brush around the vacuum nozzle orifice in order to
agitate dust away from the surface. The operation shall start at the top of the tank
and proceed downwards, finishing with the removal of dust from the tank floor.

This procedure is applicable for the scaffolds as well. Scaffolding planks must
be vacuum cleaned, turned, and vacuum cleaned again. Any ends of tubular parts
of scaffolding that have accidentally been opened shall be vacuum cleaned at the
entrance and then closed with wooden or hard rubber plugs.

6.6 Steel surface assessment prior to coating application

There are no standardised methods for the quantitative determination of grease
or oil on cleaned surfaces. This should raise caution (rather than neglect) during
the cleaning operation.

As described in section 6.4.2 Washing procedures, washing should continue until

the wash water no longer ‘snakes’ or ‘beads’ when poured down the steel surface.
(A rough test, used extensively in the old days, is to draw a piece of chalk across
the steel. Where the chalk does not adhere to the steel, fatty compounds are
present.)

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 14 of 24

 Contrary to this there are several methods for a quantitative determination of
soluble salts on a steel surface. A practical field method is the ISO 8502-6 Bresle
sampling method for conductivity testing. The measured conductivity value is
converted to milligram salt per square metre steel surface by way of a simple
calculation.

The water-soluble salts (particularly sodium chloride, NaCl) remaining on a

blast-cleaned surface immediately prior to a coating application should not
exceed 80 mg/m2 (8 µg/cm2). (taking only the chloride part of the salts this is
equivalent to 48 mg/m2 or 4.8 µg/cm2.) These limits are for ship’s ballast tanks.
For ship’s other tanks the limit is 50 mg/m2 (30mg/m2 as chloride). The limits are
based on Jotun’s experience with ship’s tank coating.

For other objects there may be other limits. The NORSOK standard M-501
‘
Surface preparation and protective coating’ specifies max 20 mg/m2 NaCl for
‘
offshore installations and associated facilities’. The NORSOK specification is
limited to new steel constructions. For ‘old’ steel (i.e. refurbishment) one has
experienced that it is difficult to obtain as low salt levels as for new steel, due to
the surface degradation.

Salt determination shall be done by the ISO 8502-6 method using the Bresle
sampling equipment . Bresle sampling and testing should be carried out randomly,
but with an emphasis on places that typically have higher salt levels: flat horizontal
surfaces, corners and the tank floor. The number of tests per tank should be
discussed and agreed in the pre-project meeting. Depending on the size of the tank,
a suitable number of tests could be one test for every 150-300 m².

If the tank is found to have too high surface salt levels, re-washing must be done.

Dust remaining on the steel surface may give poor coating adhesion. The dust
level can be determined by way of ISO 8502-3:1992 ‘Assessment of dust on steel
surfaces prepared for painting (pressure-sensitive tape method)’.

6.7 Boiler suits etc

When the tank has been cleaned and is ready for further treatment it is important
to avoid steel surface contamination by way of dirty boiler suits and shoes etc.
All efforts should also be made to avoid human sweat falling onto the clean steel
or painted surfaces which are due to be painted again. Personnel entering the
tank after grit blasting must wear foot covers.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 15 of 24

7 Coating application

7.1 General
All work in adjacent areas, which may negatively affect the quality of the coating
application, or imply safety hazards, should be completed or stopped before
starting the coating application. It is vitally important that sufficient ventilation,
dehumidification, heating equipment and lighting is provided to meet conditions
as described in the technical data sheets, this Code of Practice, and regulations
given by relevant authorities.

For additional information on how to provide a safe environment for tank

coating application reference is made to section 8 of this Code of Practice.

The steel surface conditions must be as described in the previous section, and
following the agreed specifications for the project.

7.2 Film thickness, types and number of coats

It is considered important to avoid excessively thick coatings. Too thick coatings
are more prone to cracking and blistering due to mechanical stress and solvent
entrapment. Therefore the recommendations in the technical data sheets shall
be strictly adhered to. Stripe coating should be made by use of a brush. Use of a
spray gun for stripe coating will easily lead to too high film thickness. Further,
brush application is considered more efficient in getting the paint into all narrow
crevices etc. Roller application is only permitted in scallops and rat holes where
even a brush would not be suitable. Consequently the following application
sequence is recommended:
• 1st full primer coat applied by spray
• 1st stripe coat applied by brush
• 2nd stripe coat applied by brush
• 2nd ordinary primer coat applied by spray
• Touch up, if required

The 1st full coat should be applied before stripe coating so that most of the steel
is coated in its best condition – as soon as possible after grit blasting. Delaying
the first full coat application leads to increased possibility for contamination of
the steel with dirt, dust and human sweat. The 1st stripe coat should have the
same colour as the 2nd full coat.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 16 of 24

 The purpose of the 1st stripe coat is to cover plate edges, bare spots etc after the
1st coat application. The 2nd stripe coat should be applied where the coating
thickness may be not sufficient. Typically this will be on top of the 1st stripe
coat, but it can also be applied to areas where a DFT measurement has shown
insufficient first coat thickness.

For ease of inspection – and for ease of application, the 2nd stripe coat should
have the same colour as the 1st full coat. By doing this the 2nd full coat will be
applied to a surface of uniform colour.

When a three-coat system is specified, the last coat should preferably have a
colour different from the 2nd coat, in order to secure that all areas receive the
last coat as well.

7.3 Ambient conditions

The steel temperature must be kept at least 3ºC above the dew point when the
paint is applied. Requirements to the air relative humidity (RH) are given in the
relevant technical data sheets. The temperature must also be sufficiently high for
the paint to cure within the required time, as given in the technical data sheet.

7.4 Ventilation and dehumidification

Good ventilation, meaning sufficient air supply and air exchange in all parts of
the coated object is required to remove solvent vapours and thereby promote
solvent evaporation and coating cure. Ventilation must be maintained during the
paint application and continue throughout the drying period as long as solvents
are released from the paint film. When the ventilation is so arranged that fresh
air is blown into the tank (i.e., a positive pressure is obtained), dust and other
contaminants may be prevented from entering the tank.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 17 of 24

 Examples of good ventilation arrangements

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 18 of 24

8 Health and Safety

8.1 General
Safety is the overriding consideration for all tank coating work, and the
responsible Contractor’s Safety Officer must be made fully aware of all aspects
of the operation, and all potential dangers.

Detailed attention must be given to the following dangers:

• Explosion or fire

• Lack of oxygen in the tank atmosphere

• Asphyxiation / suffocation by solvent fumes

• Falling down from the scaffolds

• Skin damage from toxic coating materials

8.2 Safety preparations

Safety matters shall be on the agenda in the preliminary pre-project meeting. All
safety requirements and rules shall be agreed upon and made available for all
parties involved.

The Painting Contractor should be pre-qualified, and his operational staff

certified through a safety programme to ensure that the staff is familiar with
safety and operational procedures. The personnel must also be trained in the
Contractor’s emergency procedures.

Before the coating work starts, authorised personnel from the Contractor shall
review the work arrangements of the Painting Contractor to ensure that no
procedure that could endanger any person’s health will take place.

The Coating Advisor shall be provided with safety regulations valid for the
Contractor’s plant.

The Contractor and Painting Contractor must be provided with Jotun’s safety
data sheets.

8.3 Scaffolding safety

A suitable and safe system for scaffolding must be provided. The scaffolds
must provide free access to all surfaces to be treated without replacing planks
or erecting temporary ladders. It must also provide adequate working space and
support for the maximum number of workers. The scaffolds must not hinder
ventilation in any way. Enough space should be available, allowing the operator
to execute his work properly, and to move from level to level fast and efficiently.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 19 of 24

 Waist-high safety rails (scaffolding tubes) must be erected between all uprights
on the inner perimeter of the scaffold construction above the first level. The same
applies for any other dangerous places. This is required to hinder personnel fall
down.

8.4 Elimination of ignition sources

Welding, cutting or grinding inside the tank shall be completed before grit
blasting. By the time of coating application, this rule shall apply to all areas
within a 20-metre radius of the tank and its outlets.

Areas where work is in progress must be clearly identified and sectioned off.
Hazard warnings showing ‘EXPLOSION RISK’ and ‘NO SMOKING’ must be
placed clearly visible around all tank entrances during the coating operation and
shall not be removed before the concentration of flammable vapours is too low to
cause a fire hazard. Such hazard warnings should be placed at 10 metres distance
from the tank entrance(s).

Lights, including hand torches, must be no more than 24-Volt and certified by
the manufacturer as flash proof or suitable for use in a solvent-laden atmosphere.

All electrically powered equipment in use must be earthed properly. This

includes, but is not limited to, compressors, blasting equipment and spraying
equipment.

Explosion- and spark-certified equipment should be used during the coating

application. Electric cables, motors and illumination systems must be type-
approved. Extension cables with internal connectors should never be used. No
electrical junction boxes should be allowed in tanks.

Personnel working in confined spaces during paint application and curing must
wear rubber-soled shoes.

If heating is required in order to satisfy the painting specification, it should be by

means of a heat exchange system. Hot exhaust gas from a combustion process
should not be used for heating, because it will contain carbon dioxide which is
undesirable inside a tank.

Mobile telephones and battery operated cameras must not be used inside or near
tanks or ventilation outlets until paint fumes are totally dispersed.

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 20 of 24

8.5 Management of solvent vapour concentration
8.5.1 General advice

The solvent content of the paint, as well as added thinner, may present limitations
when it comes to the application process, both with regard to fire hazards and the
paint applicators’ health. Any organic solvent-based coating can give off sufficient
solvent vapour to produce an explosive mixture in a tank. This can not be tolerated,
as one can never be 100% sure that a spark or other form of ignition will occur.
The solvent (and thinner) may also produce an atmosphere which is dangerous
to the health of personnel in the tank. Either of these circumstances will dictate a
minimum forced ventilation to be arranged. However, nowadays paint applicators
always use fresh air masks, and are not dependent on the tank atmosphere for
breathing. Therefore, it is the fire and explosion risk that will have to be assessed
and controlled in ballast tank coating projects.

Mixtures of organic solvents (or thinners) and air are explosive in a wide
concentration range; usually from about 1% up to about 10%. These limits are
called the Upper and Lower Explosive Limits, abbreviated as UEL and LEL,
respectively. To eliminate the explosion risk the vapour concentration must
be well below the lower explosive limit all the time. For safety reasons one
generally says that the maximum permissible concentration of solvent or thinner
in the tank atmosphere is one tenth (10%) of the LEL, i.e 0.1%.

Long before the vapour concentration reaches the LEL the atmosphere in a
confined space like a tank will be intolerably unpleasant, with irritating skin
effects and pain to the eyes. These symptoms must be taken as a warning sign
that better ventilation is needed.

8.5.2 Ventilation and air exchange

For successful removal of solvent fumes, suction from the lower sections of the
tank is required (solvent fumes are heavier than air).

Flexible ventilation ducts should be used to allow the point of extraction to be

reasonably close to the worker. The ventilation system and ducts should be so
arranged that ‘dead spaces’ are avoided.

In practice the solvent concentration in the tank atmosphere will rise to a

high level as soon as the coating application starts, and will remain high until
the coating operation is finished. Afterwards, the solvent concentration will
gradually decrease, but the coating will emit solvents until it is fully dried.
Solvent vapours may also accumulate in ‘pockets’ within the tank. Therefore
we have little control of what will be the true solvent concentration in the tank

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 21 of 24

 atmosphere, and the solvent concentration must not be allowed to increase or
remain high. Consequently, a worst case approach must be made, and this means
that we calculate the total air volume to be used, and ensure that this is applied
during the whole coating application period. To take care of the remaining
solvents, the fans must also run during the drying period afterwards. However,
since the solvent evaporation rate will gradually decrease, we can, as a rule
of thumb, reduce the ventilation by about 50% when half the drying time has
elapsed.

8.5.3 Finding the required ventilation rate

To find the required air quantity we first calculate the total solvent content of the
paints (and thinners) used. It is assumed that all this solvent will evaporate and
contribute to an explosive atmosphere. These solvents must not constitute more
than 0.1% of the air in the tank (10% of the LEL), and in this way the required
air volume is found.

The Required Air Quantity, RAQ, is the amount of air needed for each litre of
paint to ventilate to the required level. Relevant RAQ values are given in the
below standing table. In this table also relevant thinners are listed. To find the
total RAQ the demands from the paint and the added thinner must be added.

The quantity of ventilation required in cubic metres per minute during the
application and drying can be calculated from the formula:

RAQ = [P*A + Q*B] / t

P = paint quantity applied in the tank, litres

Q = extra thinner used in this paint, litres

A = required air volume per litre paint (m3/l) to maintain a non-explosive

atmosphere

B = required air volume per litre thinner (m3/l) to maintain a non-explosive

atmosphere

T = application time in minutes

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 22 of 24

 Ventilation requirements for coatings and thinners. Total air volume for evaporation of solvents

Coating or Thinner % Solids Required air

volume, m3/l
Balloxy HB Light & Lumi 82 36
Wintergrade Balloxy HB Light 71 58
Chemflake Special 96 8
Jotacote Universal 72 56
Jotamastic 87 82 36
Jotamastic 87 WG 74 52
Jotamastic 87 Aluminium 87 26
Jotamastic 87 Aluminium WG 77 46
Primastic Universal 75 50
Primastic Universal WG 70 60
Resist GTI 60 216
Tankguard HB 50 100
Tankguard Special & Storage 63 74
Thinner no 4 0 318
Thinner no 7 & 17 0 200
Thinner no 25 0 174
Thinner no 26 0 185

Coatings and thinners listed are not necessarily approved for tank use.
Likewise, there may be approved tank products not listed.

Example: We plan to coat a 650 m3 tank with one coat of Balloxy HB Light 200
µm dry film thickness. The tank has a calculated surface area of 1260 m2. The
paint will be thinned 5% (Thinner no. 17). Application speed is 3.5 litres per
minute. How much fresh air must be blown into the tank per minute to eliminate
the explosion risk? And for how long time? The ambient temperature is 23
degrees C.

Answer: 200 µm/0.82 * 1260m2 = 309 litres of paint. 5% to this is 15 litres

thinner. Required air volume becomes 309*36 + 15*200 = 14124 m3. (309+15)
litres / 3.5 l/min = 93 minutes. 14124m3 / 93 min = 152m3 / minute. Drying time
(see technical data sheet) is 10 hours at 23 degrees C, i.e. the ventilation fans
shall run for 11½ hour. (For the last 5 hours the fan speed may be reduced 50%,
as indicated in section 8.5.2.)

General Tank Coating Code of Practice Issue April 2008 Page 23 of 24

 8.5.4 Monitoring the ventilation system

An authorised person must check the solvent vapour content before work starts
and at regular intervals (i.e. every two or three hours thereafter) until the tank
coating work is finished. Particular attention must be paid to ‘dead spots’ in
the tank, where high concentrations may occur locally. The maximum allowed
solvent concentration is 0.1% at all times. If the solvent concentration rises
above 0.1%, painting must stop until the vapour concentration is reduced to a
safe level again.

In order to prevent personnel losing consciousness and suffocating, the oxygen

level must not fall lower than 21% by volume. Oxygen monitors must be
available and used to ensure a satisfactory oxygen content in the working
atmosphere.

Provision must be made for 24-hour surveillance of ventilation equipment.

Jotun A/S
P.O. Box 2021,
N-3248 Sandefjord,
Norway
Tel: +47 33 45 70 00
Fax: +47 33 46 46 13
www.jotun.com

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