Work Areas of a Shipyard

Bonded Zones

When vessels are in Canadian shipyards for repair there may be a need to remove articles that were never destined for sale or use in Canada, and as such have never had tariffs or duties paid against them. Alternatively, a bonded zone may be used to house broken equipment that has been taken out of circulation before being shipped for repair. The same applies to liquor that is removed from a ship under repair.

The bonded zone is a secure locked area where items are stored until crated and shipped out of the country by land or by sea, usually by a 'bonded carrier' who ensures the item does not end up for resale in Canada. This is particularly important if the item is electrical in nature and does not have Canadian Standards Association (CSA) approval.

Stores

These are areas in a shipyard where new material, repair, and overhaul stock is kept. Large shipyards may have 'Central Stores' or 'General Stores' that house large amounts of material or multiple items that would be too cumbersome for the shops to hold: this could include steel/aluminum plate, generators, engines, structural steel and other large mechanical or electrical components such as air conditioning units or huge radars. Many yards will have separate buildings to house parts and equipment to keep floor space clear for work.

**Note that these areas are for parts, material and equipment only. Shipyards may also have a central tool crib for large items and then individual shop tool cribs for routine tools for everyday use.

Operations Offices

Operations Offices will vary from shipyard to shipyard, and can include the drawing office, planning office, estimating area and space for other specialized work that falls outside of production. These areas are more involved in the planning, scheduling and coordination of work that is required to run the shipyard and staff often interfaces with the ship's owners.

In a military shipyard, the "OP'S" staff will be naval personnel who will also co-ordinate the staffing, storing, and sail date of warships as it pertains to ongoing repairs of the vessel. It can be said that these areas concentrate on keeping the yard operational and also work to ensure that deadlines and commitments as outlined in contracts are met.

Security

Shipyard security starts at the 'front gate'. Large shipyards will have security staff (employees or commissionaires) that check ID, direct visitors, and provide access for contractors and delivery personnel. Once inside the yard, there may be additional zones that are restricted because of the information they contain. Information may be proprietary, confidential, restricted, secret, or even top secret in the case of military yards. Security is also required for some equipment and material to prevent theft and/or accidental removal of parts and equipment. This would include secure or quarantine locked areas in the shops that hold contaminated stock or expensive equipment.

At the height of terrorist alerts right after 9-11, the Esquimalt dockyard had armed personnel and bomb-sniffing dogs searching every vehicle entering the yard until the threat level returned to moderate. This was security at its highest.

Storage

A huge amount of stock is required to keep a shipyard of hundreds of workers going, often on two shifts, and sometimes around the clock. Needless to say storage is a critical component of shipyard operations and requires effective material management systems. Storage also includes accommodating items received by local, national and international suppliers.

Storage is required for raw material, finished goods, parts, and equipment. The storage areas must also be suitable for what is being stored; whether it needs to be indoors, outdoors, heated in climate-controlled buildings or laying on the shop floor. During a refit, there can be tens of thousands of pieces stripped off vessels and these must be cycled through the shops for repair and repainting. Everything from ventilation to large sections of piping systems must be dealt with and accurately stored so they can be accessed, sometimes months later. Specialized storage may be required for sensitive items such as radars, sonars, or gas turbine engines. Engines held for long periods of time are often stored in aluminum containers called 'coffins' and these are pressurized with nitrogen to keep out all the oxygen that would promote rust or corrosion.

Crane Ways

Large cranes that move along drydocks or assembly areas travel on rails, similar to a train. The area between the tracks must be kept clear so as not to impede the movement of the crane. This area is watched by the hook-tender, or the person who secures the crane loads and then signals the operator to move it onto the ship. As a rule, personnel, mobile cranes, trucks and other vehicles should remain clear of this area for obvious safety reasons.

*There can also be areas in a shipyard where vessels are taken in or out of the water, and these are referred to as 'ways', 'crane ways', or 'slipways'. Launching and drydocking can occur in these areas and is facilitated by the use of large cranes to pull the boats around and position them for maintenance.

Traffic Zones

In large shipyards, personnel may need to use trucks, electric or gas powered carts, and even bicycles to get to and from work sites. Each of these vehicles presents a unique challenge in the industrial setting and extreme care must be taken to avoid accidents. Some areas, such as refit jetties, will not allow any vehicles other than mobile cranes or service vehicles. Other areas of the yard that have crane tracks, service lines, piping or electrical hookups, may be restricted to pedestrians. There can also be consideration for traffic inside buildings where excessive noise, grinding or other distractions could cause problems. Finally, most shops will also have painted yellow lines that indicate where a pedestrian should walk and not walk. Clearly marked and designated pedestrian traffic zones prevent injuries such as foot punctures from sharp objects, head injuries from falling objects, or falls or turned ankles from rolling on a piece of pipe or welding rod stub.

Systems Used To Transport Resources within a Yard

Cranes, transporters and railways are often incorporated into modern yards to facilitate movement. Assembly and marshaling areas are used to gather resources well in advance of installation. Yard layout, build sequencing, module transport, connection assembly, launching and final fit-out - all require space allocation and careful coordination by a myriad of yard personnel.