Determining the exposure of submarine personnel to harmful factors during the operation

One of the most important ways to protect the workforce is to identify, evaluate and prevent excessive contact with a variety of harmful physicals, chemical and biological agents. The aim of this study was to determine the degree of exposure of submarine personnel to harmful factors in the submarine during the operation.

First, the submarine was inspected and the job titles of the employees were determined. At each job post, all harmful factors were measured by previously calibrated physical and chemical agents. According to the severity of the contaminant and the duration of exposure to the agent, the total dose received during a work shift was determined and compared with the standard amount.

The equivalent sound level (Leq) for submarine battery and engine room personnel, effective acceleration rate (RMS), vibration in the arm and whole body of engine room personnel, exposure to gases emitted in the engine room due to diesel engine, were measured. The volume was higher than the allowable limit and the vibration of the arm was higher in case of constant contact in the engine room, but the concentration of gases and vapors was lower than the allowable threshold. In the control room, all of these factors were below the allowable threshold, and personnel working in this area are less exposed due to the convenient distance to the engine room.

Considering that the main problem inside the submarine is noise and vibration in the engine room, measurements should be considered reducing noise in this area as much as possible.