Hull cleaner's advice wanted.

[Superlyte27]

OSHA is responsible for worker's safety.
EPA and .... crap, i forgot the other one.... Is responsible for the environments safety. It was probably OSHA that fined them for improper gear, but EPA who fined them for improper disposal. I've seen one governing authority write 100k in fines, then notify the next governing authority down the line to write another 100k in fines. It was really cool watching the Coast Guard ream Diver's Academy for pumping oil from it's bildge. It was even cooler watching the EPA ream Diver's Academy for using dispersing agents to mask the oil.

 

[fstbttms]

Again, Scuba Clean in Tampa has not been fined. They were threatened with a $147,000 fine by OSHA, but OSHA has backed down, at least temporarily. There has been no involvement from the EPA.

What people do not understand is that following OSHA regs is unworkable for hull cleaners. For instance, in the Tampa Bay Area, the typical rate for hull cleaning is $1.25/foot. Imagine having to pay a 3-man team (as per OSHA regs) to clean a 30' sailboat, but only being able to charge the customer $37.50 for the job. The alternative is to essentially triple the cost to the customer. Either scenario is unfeasible. We are trying to keep boaters in the sport, not drive them away from it by increasing their costs.

The current OSHA regs were not meant for the hull cleaning industry and do not work for the hull cleaning industry. Which is why the hull cleaning industry does not follow them.