Code of Practice for Antifouling

Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council, 2000

Application

Requirements under dangerous goods and occupational health and safety laws must continue to be met.

Preparation areas should be bunded to ensure accidental spillage cannot escape to water.
Spillage should be treated with a suitable absorbent and disposed of as a controlled waste.
Facilities should be well designed and carefully managed. Alternatively, poorly designed existing facilities should be managed to optimise human and environmental protection;
All plant and equipment from work areas should be subject to regular preventative maintenance programs to ensure optimum performance.
Stocks of antifouling paint should be held in labelled containers.
Antifoulants should be stored in secured and preferably bunded areas.
Preparation of all antifoulants should take place in areas protected from traffic, with overhead cover.
Site operators should assume any removed coating is contaminated with biocides and dispose of in accordance with requirements of local environmental and/or waste disposal authorities.
Established written operational procedures should exist.
Paint spraying should not be performed in high winds.
Sheeting should be used to prevent spray drift.

Cleaning using water is preferred to chemicals.
High pressure liquid cleaners that operate with detergents, solvents, caustic or acid should only be used if a system exists for collection of waste waters.
Use of degreasers should be avoided.
Discharge of coloured water to the waterway should be avoided.
Low pressure, high volume spray guns are preferred over high pressure guns.
Efficient use of all antifouling paints, during their application, should ensure that total losses due to all causes do not exceed 30% of the coating to be applied to the substrate. Consideration should be given to:
1. maximising coating transfer efficiency during application;
2. blowing back hose lines to the pump on completion of work;
3. using returnable bulk containers;
4. careful planning of coating operations to minimise coating residues and losses;
5. application during optimal weather conditions, if possible.

All surfaces should be protected from over-spray through the use of tarpaulins and sheeting.
All work should be carried out above the tidal zone.
Brushes and rollers are preferred over spray equipment, where environmental conditions could result in spray drift off-site.
Drop sheets should be placed under all surfaces to be painted.

All application of TBT requires the approval of the State agency and the facility must meet the specific requirements of that agency.