USS Gerald R. Ford - Newport News, VA April 1, 2019 Project: OSHA Compliant Railings for Navy Ships Improve Safety & Efficiency Location: Newport News, VA, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) Problem Statement: To enable the X43 Machinery Installation Department shipbuilders to work around advanced weapons elevators, fall protection is required to guard the deck openings. In the past, X43 shipbuilders relied on X11 fitters to install, and uninstall temporary stanchions which meant X43 shipbuilders would expend time coordinating an available X11 crew. In addition to working around elevators, other hazardous shipbuilders encounter includes catapult troughs, aircraft elevators, and jet blast deflectors. Problem Resolution: NextGen 3000 Universal Guardrail railings were installed by X43 crews around the advanced weapons elevators and quickly repositioned as needed. The NextGen 3000 railing bases are designed with non-skid neoprene feet so not to damage the ship’s critical coatings. The guardrail system is engineered to meet all Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Newport News Shipbuilding safety standards.Mike Bousquet, X43 General Foreman, stated that “It allows (our) X43 (Machinery Installation Department), …to be self-sufficient and move it from elevator to elevator as we need to”. Cliff Edwards, Trade Business Manager, commented that “We’re excited about this…It puts another layer of safety in the hands of shipbuilders…The safety benefits are obvious, but it also decreases our downtime and increases our efficiency, creating a cost savings and positively impacting schedule… We want everybody to benefit from this project because we think it’s going to save money and could potentially save lives”. The system is currently protecting shipbuilders working around CVN 78’s advanced weapons elevators. The good news is spreading and shipbuilders from the USS John F. Kennedy (CVN 79) recently visited CVN 78 to evaluate the guardrails for possible use on their ship.”
