Ship repairer to provide protection on vessel

DCD-Dorbyl Marine has reached an agreement with Total Cover SA, the South African appointed agent for Envirowrap International, an encapsulation and containment company, to provide environmental protection during the maintenance programme that is currently underway on the Saipem Saibos FDS vessel in Cape Town Harbour.

This contract is a first in South Africa as a result of a huge amount of focus been placed on considering the environmental impact during a maintenance programme of such magnitude.

Maintenance areas are normally worked upon within the confines of scaffold enclosures with only limited environmental protection.  The Envirowrap system, vastly enhances the protection of the environment from maintenance waste, which not only can pollute the air, but also has the risk of falling into the harbour’s water and subsequently flowing into the ocean

“Total Cover SA provides environmental protection of such areas by screening off and encapsulating, or shrink wrapping, the area whilst maintenance by means of sand/water blasting, grinding, welding and spray painting is being done. We use high technology plastic material to cover the maintenance areas by means of shrink wrapping the area,” says Total Cover SA spokesperson, Willem Botha.

Shrink wrapping is done around the scaffold areas and, in the case of the Saipem project, includes areas around the main deck of the ship, the deck cranes and cables.

This screening off and encapsulation of the maintenance areas allows for the waste from the maintenance  projects to be contained, accumulated and disposed of under strict environmental control guidelines and thus eliminating ocean and air pollution.

The high technology plastic material can be fully recycled and eventually used in the manufacture of plastic pipes. The material is also fire retardant and conforms to all ISO directives.

“Our product is a first for environmental protection in South Africa and promotes international best practices and standards that will change the way the industry approaches maintenance programmes with environmental impact,” says Botha.

Over and above the environmental benefits, productivity is also enhanced, in that little or no additional time has to be spent in having to clean working areas and equipment after the maintenance programme has been completed.

“For the purpose of this project, we will also create direct job opportunities for 15 people at any given time, 9 of which will be from previously disadvantaged communities,” adds Botha.

“This project and partnership illustrates one of the core values that DCD-DORBYL MARINE and Total Cover SA share, which is a – highly focused commitment to environmental protection, with special attention on maintenance projects where the environment can be at risk,” concludes Botha

For more info : Willem Botha, Total Cover SA, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 0824588556 or Marcell van Biljon, DCD-DORBYL MARINE (Pty) Ltd Quality and environmental assurance manager, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , 082 771 3896.

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