Monday, October 15, 2012

The Task Of The Offshore Welder And Related Safety Issues

By Paul Lee


The set up of gas rigs and oil rigs demand the skill and expertise of a licensed offshore welder, as underwater welding in Malaysia just isn't an easy task by any means. Underwater welding is used for the welding of work pieces fabricated from all kinds of raw material, such as steel, copper and aluminium, among numerous other metals. A standard example can be a pipeline supply.

The basis for the classification of underwater welding is the nature of the equipment that's to be utilized for the task at hand in addition to the welding process that is undertaken. One of the most common welding methods employed for the purpose of underwater welding procedures is manual metal arc welding. The benefit provided by this process is that it is relatively insensitive to the depth at which the welding process is being carried out. It is therefore best suited for repair work in deep water.

In Malaysia, the utilization of cofferdams (protective structures fabricated from steel) to house the offshore welder is a standard safety precaution. This process is also termed as cofferdam welding. Hyperbaric welding is another underwater welding method that comes in handy for welding or repairing of pipeline supply and other similar welding tasks. In this process, a sealed enclosure protects the work piece, and is filled with a mix of helium and oxygen at .5 bar. Manual metal arc welding is combined with hyperbaric welding to create high integrity welds at great depths, particularly for welds like tie-ins in pipelines and risers.

The offshore welder employs the underwater welding procedure to weld steel pipeline supply, elements of huge ships that are underwater, structures used in the support of harbors, and other similar projects. Such projects are on the rise in Malaysia, providing new opportunities for the offshore welder.

Working at depths starting from 0.5 to 1 kilometer comes with the dangers of hydrogen-assisted cracking. In an effort to prevent this from occurring, new and improved power sources are made use of, coupled with electrode coating formulations which are appropriate for the welding task.

The procedures involved in underwater welding processes in Malaysia, or some other country for that matter, can pose a threat to the lifetime of the offshore welder, if the necessary safety precautions are not undertaken. These include the usage of applicable protective apparel, use of proper equipment and welding consumables, and thorough inspection of all working conditions and welding process before the task is undertaken.

Underwater welders are exposed to potential electric shocks and the introduction of nitrogen into their bloodstream in deep waters, as a result of being exposed to air at elevated levels of pressure underwater. For construction and repairs of pipeline supply, or installing oil and gas rigs or for that matter any underwater welding task, emergency air provide should be made readily available, together with the provision of decompression chambers.

Decompression sickness happens when saturation diving is followed by rapid resurfacing. Stand-by divers needs to be obtainable at all times in case any mishap happens or assistance is required during the process. The safety of all those involved in the procedure is of prime importance.




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