Does "Subpart A - General Provisions" Apply to You?

Subpart A provides the standards related to scope and application, responsibility, definitions, incorporation by reference (i.e., consensus standards), commercial diving operations, and competent person. Do you have employments, or related employments, to ship repairing, shipbuilding or shipbreaking? If yes, according to scope and application, this subpart applies to you.

Under the standard on responsibility, it states that the responsibility for compliance to shipyard employment standards are placed upon "employers".  The term, employer, is defined as an employer, any of whose employees are employed, in whole or in part, in ship repairing, shipbuilding, shipbreaking or related employments as defined in this section on the navigable waters of the United States, including dry docks, graving docks and marine railways. It does not apply to owners, operators, agents or masters of vessels unless such persons are acting as "employers." Note: This is not intended to relieve owners, operators, agents or masters of vessels who are not "employers" from responsibilities or duties placed upon them by law, regulation or custom.

Definitions includes many key terms such as:

Ship repair (ship repairing) means any repair of a vessel including, but not restricted to, alterations, conversions, installations, cleaning, painting, and maintenance work.

Shipbuilding means the construction of a vessel including the installation of machinery and equipment.

Shipbreaking means any breaking down of a vessel's structure for the purpose of scrapping the vessel, including the removal of gear, equipment or any component part of a vessel.

Related employment means any employment performed as an incident to or in conjunction with ship repairing, shipbuilding or shipbreaking work, including, but not restricted to, inspection, testing, and employment as a watchman.

Competent person means a person who is capable of recognizing and evaluating employee exposure to hazardous substances or to other unsafe conditions and is capable of specifying the necessary protection and precautions to be taken to ensure the safety of employees as required by the particular regulation under the condition to which it applies. For the purposes of subpart B - Confined and Enclosed Spaces and Other Dangerous Atmospheres in Shipyard Employment, subpart C - Surface Preparation and Preservation, and subpart D - Welding, Cutting and Heating, except for the standard on painting (b)(8) and the standard on flammable liquids (a)(5), the competent person must also meet the additional requirements contained in the competent person standard (i.e., designation, skills, knowledge, recordkeeping). 

Do you have commercial diving operations?  If yes, then you need to comply with the standard on commercial diving operations which requires these operations to comply with the general industry standards on commercial diving operations. Reference the general industry webpage "Does Subpart T - Commercial Diving Operations Apply to You?" for more information.