UNIT 3

I. Reading Comprehension
Code of safe working practices for
The Safety of Merchant Seamen, Officers, and Engineers

Working clothes and personal protective equipment in machinery spaces.

1 When working clothes are selected for use in machinery spaces, consideration should be given to the
hazards to which the wearer may be exposed. Personnel should ensure that clothes fit well and have
no loose flaps or strings. External pockets, if any, should be as few and as small as possible. A shirt
with short sleeves should be worn in preference to one with rolled up sleeves.
2 Loose, tern, or ragged garments are a hazard when working near moving machinery. Special attention
is drawn to the hazards of neck ties, sweat rags slung round the neck, and the wearing of finger rings
in the machinery spaces.
3 Special caution is necessary when working near machinery in motion, particularly in close proximity to
a revolving shaft.
4 Suitable goggles should always be worn when handling chemicals, grinding, drilling, working a lathe,
scaling, hammering, using a cold chisel or doing any work of a similar nature.
5 Every effort should be made to ensure that any oil falling o floor plates be removed as quickly as
possible. Nevertheless, floor plates tend to become slippery and this, combined with the movement of
the ship at sea, makes footholds insecure. When the floor plates are slippery with oil, there is a risk
that heavy machinery which is being lifted may be inadvertently dropped, causing severe foot injuries.
The risk of injury is reduced by the use of industrial footwear (not having steel studs and preferably
with soles having oil-resistant anti=slip characteristics).
6 Where overhaul of engine room machinery creates special hazards, safety helmets should be worn.
7 Personnel required to work in machinery spaces which have high noise levels should be provided with
suitable ear defenders, which may be ear plugs or ear muffs. Where noise is intense a combination of
both may be desirable.

Exercise 1. Complete the table below to summarize the information given in the extract. Part of it
has been completed for you.

Part of body Type of protection Situations

Body Well-fitting clothes Working in machinery spaces

Neck No ties, no sweat rags __________________________________

Fingers __________________________________

Eyes _________________________________ __________________________________

Feet _________________________________ __________________________________

Head _________________________________ __________________________________

Ears _________________________________ __________________________________

 Exercise 2. Now use the information in the table to write out statements like this:

 If you are working in machinery spaces, you should wear well-fitting clothes in order to protect
your body.
 If you are working near machinery in motion, you should not wear ties or swear rags, in order to
protect your neck.
 If you . . .
II. SAFETY

III. GRAMMAR. Prepositions of place