Coverall Pros:
My forearms don’t get so dirty any more.
Coverall Cons:
Melts to your skin when a piece of slag lands on them.
Sleeves are dangerous around rotating machinery.
Does not allow your body to cool itself as well as cotton.
Catches on every damned thing you walk or crawl by.
They shrink by about 30%, so you can never get ones that properly fit.
I still can’t wrap my head around why the safety guys think that the “fire resistant” coveralls are so much better. Well fitting cotton, with a long sleeve shirt on standby for welding is much safer. You get used to them if you’re forced to wear them every day, but for engine room personnel, I think they border on being dangerous in and of themselves.
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;96458]S&G don’t tell me you never put a 9v battery on your tongue either, [/QUOTE].
Well, I am 72 and you know what they say about those Dotage Years.
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;96458] The other bad thing about boiler suits is when you break wind it goes right up through the suit to your nose. As they say in Boston “It’s like giving yourself a dutch oven” or for the guys/gals out west “Playing covered wagon” with your better half.[/QUOTE]
F’n safety guys. I worked for an outfit that had a policy of hard hats all the time in the ER. I pull pulling an exhaust valve of a MAN main engine and using a crane to lift it out. After making sure everything was disconnected and clear I went to the deck above to finish lifting it out and stowing it until I could rebuild it. Anyway this office puke was doing a vetting that day and comes down and tells me I better put my hard hat on. Well I had the valve suspended in mid air and BELOW me and at least 15 feet away so I wasn’t about to stop and go find my hard hat. I said" are you fucking serious?" The valve is below me and even if it were to break away and strike my head do you think a hard hat will help? Needless to say he got his panties in a bunch and went to the Chief. Good thing the Chief hates veters and liked me because he told him to pack sand and he actually thinks hard hats in engine room all the time can be dangerous. So that was the only observation we got that time. Of course the old man got all riled up and rant and raved, but he soon got over it.
[QUOTE=deven;96465]Coverall Pros:
My forearms don’t get so dirty any more.
Coverall Cons:
Melts to your skin when a piece of slag lands on them.
Sleeves are dangerous around rotating machinery.
Does not allow your body to cool itself as well as cotton.
Catches on every damned thing you walk or crawl by.
They shrink by about 30%, so you can never get ones that properly fit.
I still can’t wrap my head around why the safety guys think that the “fire resistant” coveralls are so much better. Well fitting cotton, with a long sleeve shirt on standby for welding is much safer. You get used to them if you’re forced to wear them every day, but for engine room personnel, I think they border on being dangerous in and of themselves.[/QUOTE]
As I posted, when on maintenance (which was 95% of the time) it was work pants and a cotton Tee, Maneuvering, the boiler suit worked for me (it was easy to get-in and get-out). Over at Lykes Bros all the port engineers sported white boiler suits, we had comments about that one.
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;96470]As I posted, when on maintenance (which was 95% of the time) it was work pants and a cotton Tee, Maneuvering, the boiler suit worked for me (it was easy to get-in and get-out). Over at Lykes Bros all the port engineers sported white boiler suits, we had comments about that one.[/QUOTE]
The white boiler suits thing is an old tradition. I had a 65 year old British 1st that wore them. Seems kind of silly on a diesel powered boat though. If you don’t get dirty, you’re not doing it properly.
[QUOTE=deven;96472]The white boiler suits thing is an old tradition. I had a 65 year old British 1st that wore them. Seems kind of silly on a diesel powered boat though. If you don’t get dirty, you’re not doing it properly.[/QUOTE]
Thats why the whites are usually a sign of the Cheng
[QUOTE=brjones;96469]F’n safety guys. I worked for an outfit that had a policy of hard hats all the time in the ER. I pull pulling an exhaust valve of a MAN main engine and using a crane to lift it out. After making sure everything was disconnected and clear I went to the deck above to finish lifting it out and stowing it until I could rebuild it. Anyway this office puke was doing a vetting that day and comes down and tells me I better put my hard hat on. Well I had the valve suspended in mid air and BELOW me and at least 15 feet away so I wasn’t about to stop and go find my hard hat. I said" are you fucking serious?" The valve is below me and even if it were to break away and strike my head do you think a hard hat will help? Needless to say he got his panties in a bunch and went to the Chief. Good thing the Chief hates veters and liked me because he told him to pack sand and he actually thinks hard hats in engine room all the time can be dangerous. So that was the only observation we got that time. Of course the old man got all riled up and rant and raved, but he soon got over it.[/QUOTE]
Hard hats are a neck injury waiting to happen in the engine room. You cannot see what is just above you, if you’ve ever stood up and hit your head off a pipe with a hard hat on, or smacked your head off something you never saw coming while walking, you know what I’m talking about. I’d rather have a decent egg on my head than crank my neck like that.
[QUOTE=brjones;96469]F’n safety guys. I worked for an outfit that had a policy of hard hats all the time in the ER. I pull pulling an exhaust valve of a MAN main engine and using a crane to lift it out. After making sure everything was disconnected and clear I went to the deck above to finish lifting it out and stowing it until I could rebuild it. Anyway this office puke was doing a vetting that day and comes down and tells me I better put my hard hat on. Well I had the valve suspended in mid air and BELOW me and at least 15 feet away so I wasn’t about to stop and go find my hard hat. I said" are you fucking serious?" The valve is below me and even if it were to break away and strike my head do you think a hard hat will help? Needless to say he got his panties in a bunch and went to the Chief. Good thing the Chief hates veters and liked me because he told him to pack sand and he actually thinks hard hats in engine room all the time can be dangerous. So that was the only observation we got that time. Of course the old man got all riled up and rant and raved, but he soon got over it.[/QUOTE]
I bet that situation has played out on many ships. I hated hard hats but the welding hat never bothered me. I got good at jerking my head to get the lens down, not that that takes much practice. I think I might have liked simple things that work well.
[QUOTE=deven;96474]Hard hats are a neck injury waiting to happen in the engine room. You cannot see what is just above you, if you’ve ever stood up and hit your head off a pipe with a hard hat on, or smacked your head off something you never saw coming while walking, you know what I’m talking about. I’d rather have a decent egg on my head than crank my neck like that.[/QUOTE]
Yea, I experienced all you mentioned, however, one fine day I was working on plugging a leaking boiler tube, about 10 feet above me was another engineer working on a valve when, oops, he dropped a wrench which found its mark smack on top of my noggin. After that charming experience I kept a hard hat in the machine shop for needful situations. BTW, we went ashore that evening, he bought the first several rounds.
When working I always keep a cotton sweatshirt (you can wear your own teams colors) to throw on for hot fuel/exhaust/etc and dirty work. I had go into a steam drum on a Texaco ship for the 2nd because he didn’t fit through the manhole. It was still frickin hot and my hoodie kept me from burning my neck and head while I burned off some dry pipe bolts that needed repacing.
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;96482]When working I always keep a cotton sweatshirt (you can wear your own teams colors) to throw on for hot fuel/exhaust/etc and dirty work. I had go into a steam drum on a Texaco ship for the 2nd because he didn’t fit through the manhole. It was still frickin hot and my hoodie kept me from burning my neck and head while I burned off some dry pipe bolts that needed repacing.[/QUOTE]
Interesting and a dam fine idea. I always had sweat shits but used them for work in a cold environment. I had long sleeve work shirts also (which I usually rolled-up, figure that one!) for a hot environment, like the one you described. Gotta say, I done lots of boiler work but never did I have to enter the steam drum, the furnace, of course, many times. The steam drum, don’t think I’d fit today, you’d have to go for me Too bad steam is gone (We gotta get a nick name for you, does “Too bad” sound clunky?)
[QUOTE=brjones;96485]I keep a button up long sleeve shirt on hand in case I dont want a new 2 AE tattoo from fixing steam leaks[/QUOTE]
Ain’t that the truth, as soon as your flesh touches an unlagged steam line you’re tattooed, best go get some ice, try to keep the damage to a minimum but you’re cooked.
[QUOTE=Sweat-n-Grease;96484]Interesting and a dam fine idea. I always had sweat shits but used them for work in a cold environment. I had long sleeve work shirts also (which I usually rolled-up, figure that one!) for a hot environment, like the one you described. Gotta say, I done lots of boiler work but never did I have to enter the steam drum, the furnace, of course, many times. The steam drum, don’t think I’d fit today, you’d have to go for me Too bad steam is gone (We gotta get a nick name for you, does “Too bad” sound clunky?)[/QUOTE]
I had a couple “Yarway” tattoos (gage glass nut imprints burned into the inside of my arms. Over the last 25 years they faded. Kwai-Chang-Cain ain’t got nothin on me. I wouldn’t fit in a steam drum manhole now either. I was called Fffing Steam Guy by some 1st engineer on the President Polk. We were pulling pistons as MEBA “day slaves” and just finishing up putting the fuel jumpers back onto the four injectors on each head. The “unmanned” leak off jacket that goes over the HP fuel delivery line was carboned up and the only way to start the HP fuel line flare nut was with a wrench. That is a recipe for a stripped fitting as the threads were very fine on the HP nut. I was trying to free up the HP flare nut to start it by hand. This asshole says,“fucking steam guys” don’t know what you are doing. He jumps down and proceeds to show me how to strip the HP fuel line nut and the small piece between the injector and the HP line. My buddy working with me says "He doesn’t even have to try he just is one naturally and we cracked up.
[QUOTE=brjones;96485]I keep a button up long sleeve shirt on hand in case I dont want a new 2 AE tattoo from fixing steam leaks[/QUOTE]
That type of Tattoo is very common on people that ride Harleys in shorts, which I think is crazy!!! And yes I have the “Tattoo” on my right leg from the pipe from when I was stupid enough to move my Harley with shorts on. It only ran for a couple of minutes but damn that pipe was hot!
One time I was working a couple of feet from the 1st and 2nd who were burning some bolts off of a valve. You should have heard the 2nd scream when he caught on on the nuts in his bare hand!!!
[QUOTE=Tugs;96515]That type of Tattoo is very common on people that ride Harleys in shorts, which I think is crazy!!! And yes I have the “Tattoo” on my right leg from the pipe from when I was stupid enough to move my Harley with shorts on. It only ran for a couple of minutes but damn that pipe was hot![/QUOTE]
Lol. Never rode my Harley’s in shorts. I have seen a few who have, that and sandals. Never could figure that one out. Those pipes get hot too. Especially on the newer bikes that are running very lean for the epa.
[QUOTE=Too bad steam is gone;96514]I had a couple “Yarway” tattoos (gage glass nut imprints burned into the inside of my arms. Over the last 25 years they faded. Kwai-Chang-Cain ain’t got nothin on me. I wouldn’t fit in a steam drum manhole now either. I was called Fffing Steam Guy by some 1st engineer on the President Polk. We were pulling pistons as MEBA “day slaves” and just finishing up putting the fuel jumpers back onto the four injectors on each head. The “unmanned” leak off jacket that goes over the HP fuel delivery line was carboned up and the only way to start the HP fuel line flare nut was with a wrench. That is a recipe for a stripped fitting as the threads were very fine on the HP nut. I was trying to free up the HP flare nut to start it by hand. This asshole says,“fucking steam guys” don’t know what you are doing. He jumps down and proceeds to show me how to strip the HP fuel line nut and the small piece between the injector and the HP line. My buddy working with me says "He doesn’t even have to try he just is one naturally and we cracked up.[/QUOTE]
When I worked with ABS, coveralls were a must, especially when it came to tank crawling, boiler surveys (both steam drum AND furnace - I doubt that I could enter either one these days), bilge crawling, etc. When Iorossi came over from Exxon, we got a whole bunch of white cotton coveralls, and for many of us, they didn’t stay that way very long (although for some they did-go figure). I preferred to have unmarked coveralls when I was with ABS. I found I got more done and also better intel if I wasn’t immediately labelled as the ABS Guy. When I was sailing, I generally preferred cotton pants and shirts (Dickies makes some nice stuff) or similar unless there was boiler work or welding involved. I did have leather welding sleeves and started using them after a rather stupid episode and nasty “sun” burn. I had been known to wear bib overalls, too. Kind of a Southern thing that I took on after living on the Gulf Coast for a bit. Oh, I have been known to wear blue jeans and a t-shirt or jersey, too. I believe that I posted a picture of myself dressed that way with a rather huge hangover on the dock in Philly some 30 years ago.
These days I usually wear International Orange coveralls when out in the field. They are pretty much the international standard for engineers, and in some cases (like offshore in Mexico), they are damn near required. Most of the ones that I have are all cotton, but I also have a couple that are Nomex. Often times these days, FRC is required on offshore platforms or onshore terminals when product is moving. There isn’t even any question about it. I find the Nomex to at least be light, however it doesn’t breathe as well as cotton.
