As part of this contract we have worked exclusively with BAE Systems at Portsmouth and also in Saudi Arabia and the Falkland Islands. We have also carried out pre-docking inspections at overseas locations most recently in Malta. The rationale for these inspections is to save time once the vessels reach Portsmouth since the scope of work has already been established.
Our scope of works on this contract has involved surface preparation by ultra-high pressure water jetting, abrasive grit blasting and mechanical methods followed by the application of specialised protective coatings systems in compliance with War Paint specifications. Areas painted include ship outer bottoms, ship sides, superstructure, tanks, flight decks, cabins, engine rooms etc.
Commercial shipping contracts tend to be of short duration involving necessary refurbishment whilst naval contracts are of longer duration with more detailed work packages.
All method statements, risk and COSHH assessments are provided to the client for approval prior to commencement of work and thereafter quality inspections are undertaken by our ICORR and / or NACE accredited staff. Such inspections involve the use of whirling hygrometers and dry and wet film thickness gauges.
Our operatives are all ICATS accredited and where appropriate hold the necessary further training qualifications including MEWP, Confined Space, RASH, RAM etc whilst management and supervisors hold IOSH Managing Safely, SSSTS and ICORR paint inspector accreditations.
Innovative solutions have included the use of stack hoppers for blasting operations to ship outer bottoms and the introduction of purpose- built environmental units. Benefits of the former include less manual handling, improved environmental performance and cost savings due to increased productivity whilst the latter incorporate a heated and bunded paint store with waste segregation units at the work location. Other innovations have seen the incorporation of paint procurement into our service offering with cost savings to the client through our purchasing power and by our taking responsibility for paint delivery, relocation and re-use of any excessive ordering.
HM Naval vessels to have been painted recently include HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Forth, HMS Enterprise, HMS Daring, HMS Duncan and HMS Middleton. In addition, works have been carried out to dock infrastructure and office buildings.
The award and retention of this prestigious and high value painting contract has led to our company having a continuous presence in Portsmouth for over a decade. With forward visibility to at least 2020 we have forged close working relationships with both BAE Systems and Portsmouth City Council through the Solent LEP. This relationship has encouraged the company to make serious investment commitments in terms of plant, equipment and training in the local area.
Key stakeholders in this contract include the Ministry of Defence, BAE Systems, the Council and Jack Tighe Ltd. The form of contract is the BAE Standard Terms and Conditions of Purchase 2013.
