Boat Building Industry Project

Introduction

Boat building is one of Waitakere’s major industries, with 25% of export boats being produced within the City. Government statistics show that Waitakere also employs around 50% of the country’s boat-building apprentices. The Council recognises the importance of boat building to the City and wants to work with boat builders to ensure that the industry builds on its successes. 

In keeping with it's ‘Eco City’ objectives to create safer workplaces and healthier environments the Council would like the industry to be known for both producing top quality boats and for producing them in a clean and responsible manner. This means making sure that environmental impacts, including possible impacts on worker health and safety, are minimised and that resources are used in the most efficient way.

Adopting a best practice approach not only has important benefits for the environment and workers. It can also have the following benefits for your business:

• Increased profits - lowering expenditure on energy, raw materials and waste management. 
• Environmental compliance - ensuring compliance with the various regulations that affect your business, such as the Resource Management Act, the Health, Safety and Environment Act, the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms Act, and local body regulations.
• Reduced risks - reducing the chance of fines and bad publicity resulting from environmental or health and safety problems.
• Better public image - gaining potential marketing benefits with customers, particularly in export markets, for acting in an environmentally responsible manner.
• Higher morale - staff and your local community appreciate and respond to high workplace standards for the environment and health and safety.

Issues facing the Boat Building Industry

The Boat Building Industry has a relatively high use of hazardous substances and therefore increased risk to both the environment and the health and safety of employees.

Environmental issues that face the industry include:

• Water quality - management of stormwater, wastewater and groundwater
• Air quality - arising from styrene and acetone.
• Storage and disposal of hazardous substances.
• Waste management – drum disposal, reducing off-cuts.
• Energy efficiency.
• Noise management.

Addressing the issues

Waitakere City Council has been running a Cleaner Production project with the Boat Building Industry since 1999.

Health, Safety and Environment Guide for the Boat Building Industry

Contents

	Introduction to Health, Safety and Environment Guide
	Health, Safety and Environment Policy and Plan
	Managing Hazards, Accident Reporting, Incident Investigation and Emergency Procedures
	Best Practice Guidelines
		Managing hazardous substances
		Best practice notes for the use of styrene-based (polyester) resins
		Best practice notes for the use of epoxy resins
		Spraying flammable liquids – paints, lacquers, adhesives and resins
		Welding and gas cutting
	Training
	Environmental Management
		Cleaner Production
		Cleaner Water
		Recyclers Contact List (Size 77K)
	Forms
		Download forms

The guide is available from the Marine Industry Association, phone (09) 360 0056.

For further information on the project, including meeting minutes of the information and work groups, visit the ACC website.

Future work on the project will include investigating the substitution of hazardous substances, contractor site induction and waste minimisation plans.

Opportunities for the Boat Building Industry

Heat surfaces, not air

Heating fibreglass hulls to the right temperature is a major issue and it is more efficient to heat the surface of the hull rather than heat the whole room as many boat builders do. This can be done by installing radiant heaters on the roof in line with the centre of the hull and attaching a couple more to sawhorses placed under the hull. This would allow heat to be directed to specific areas of the rather than heating the whole hull or the whole room.

Reusing sawdust

Untreated sawdust and wood shavings make great mulch for gardens. Try approaching your local school and asking if they would like to use it for mulch. Staff can also take home (covered) trailer loads for their own gardens.

Environmental, Health & Safety Survey of the Boat Building Working Group

An environmental, health & safety survey of the Boat Building Working group was undertaken in June-July 2004 to identify where the companies involved are at with their environmental, health & safety practices. The survey identified a number of areas for improvement including increasing recycling rates, promoting energy management and a need for more consideration of air quality issues. However the survey also identified some positive improvements that have already occurred within the businesses involved, for example one business has reduce their solid waste output by 25%!  View the survey report below.

Note: For the following you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print this document.  For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Environmental, Health & Safety Survey Report (Size 155K)

Useful Forms

These forms are taken from the 'Health, Safety and Environment Guide for the Boat Building Industry'.

Note: For the following you will need to have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer in order to view and print these documents.  For help opening PDF files or tips on copying information see Helpful Tips.

Planning

Environmental Management and Hazardous Substances

Recycling and Waste Disposal

Health and Safety Forms