Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110
Your industry news - first
The original and best - for over 20 years!
We strongly recommend viewing Cleanzine full size in your web browser. Click our masthead above to visit our website version.
Boat cleaning operation damages cars parked nearby
A cleaning contractor is counting the cost of a job that didn't quite go according to plan last month...
Defence contractor Babcock accidentally splattered around 500 parked cars with a metallic substance while cleaning a boat at Scotland's Rosyth dockyard, and it is estimated that it will cost up to £150k to repair them...
The workers were shot-blast cleaning a barge boat at the Fife military naval base when the abrasive material used, became airborne and hit nearby cars. Specialist removal of the metallic grit used in the procedure, is now required.
A dockyard source told the Scottish Daily Record: "Everyone is furious because their cars were caked in gunk.
"Workers were shot-blasting a barge boat that had come in to be detailed. This stuff somehow became airborne with the wind and splattered almost all the cars parked at the dockyard.
"We were told as many as 500 were affected. Babcock faces a hefty cleaning bill. It seems to be a copper-based shot that was used and it's stuck everywhere. It can't come off without specialist cleaning.
"The estimate is that it will cost £200 to £300 per car to fix."
Shot-blasting - a process of cleaning using compressed air and an abrasive material - is used to remove rust, corrosion and mill scale on boat hulls. Although commonly known as sand-blasting, it seldom uses sand since it was found that the dust, when inhaled, can cause the lung disease silicosis.
Babcock confirmed the incident and said that any vehicle owners affected will be reimbursed.
"We're aware some vehicles may have been accidentally affected from the overspray of painting operations," said a spokesperson. "We're liaising with those vehicle owners and have put in place further safeguarding measures around our operation."
Image courtesy of the Sunday Mail
7th December 2017