Shipyard, Marine, LNG & Industrial Coatings Industrial Hygiene Testing
Worker exposure monitoring for shipyards, marine fabrication, LNG construction and industrial coating applicators — welding fume, hexavalent chromium, blasting silica, lead and isocyanates analyzed in-house at our Houston lab, with 1-day rush and kits shipped to the yard or jobsite anywhere in the U.S.
Why Shipyards, Marine & Coating Contractors Use AGT
Accredited & Defensible
AIHA-LAP accredited analysis, with NVLAP and PJLA accreditation on asbestos — data that holds up under OSHA Part 1915 enforcement, with prime contractors and with insurers.
Hex Chrome & Lead Ready
The two exposures that define blasting and stainless welding — analyzed in-house by OSHA ID-215 and NIOSH 7300/7082.
Kits to Any Yard or Jobsite
Pre-labeled media and calibrated loaner pumps ship anywhere in the U.S., wherever the blast-and-coat work is happening.
1-Day Rush
Same-day log-in before 2 PM CST and rush to 1 business day keeps blasting and coating fronts moving.
Exposure Monitoring for Steel, Coatings & Confined Spaces
Shipbuilding, ship repair, marine fabrication and LNG construction concentrate some of the highest-exposure work in industry: heavy welding and cutting on carbon and stainless steel, abrasive blasting of coated hulls and structures, and spray application of marine coatings — much of it inside tanks, holds and other confined spaces. AGT Labs is the accredited industrial hygiene lab behind that monitoring, analyzing every sample in-house in Houston.
Because the analysis all happens in one place, the yard's location doesn't change the result. We serve yards and fabrication shops anywhere in the United States — Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Pacific Northwest and West Coast alike — shipping kits out and taking samples back by prepaid return label. The OSHA Part 1915 standards we report against are federal and apply in every state.
The same hazard stack follows surface prep and coating work anywhere. Whether the substrate is a hull, a storage tank, a pipeline or structural steel, blasting coated steel releases hexavalent chromium, lead and respirable silica, and the topcoat releases isocyanates and solvents. We support marine and non-marine coating applicators on the same accredited methods.
- Welding fume and metals by ICP-AES for carbon and stainless work
- Hexavalent chromium by OSHA ID-215 — stainless welding and blasting
- Abrasive-blasting respirable silica by X-ray diffraction
- Lead by NIOSH 7300 / 7082 from coated-steel blasting
- Isocyanates and solvents from marine, epoxy and polyurethane coatings
- Asbestos from legacy vessel materials; noise and heat stress in confined spaces
The Exposures That Define Marine & Coatings Work
Steel, coatings and confined spaces create a distinct hazard mix. These are the exposures our shipyard and coatings monitoring is built around.
Welding Fume & Hex Chrome
Heavy welding and cutting on carbon and stainless steel — metals by ICP-AES, hexavalent chromium by OSHA ID-215 under 29 CFR 1915.1026.
Blasting Silica & Lead
Abrasive blasting of coated steel releases respirable silica (XRD) and lead (NIOSH 7300/7082) together — on hulls, tanks, pipe and structural steel alike.
Coatings & Asbestos
Isocyanates and solvents from marine, epoxy and polyurethane coatings, plus asbestos (PLM/PCM) from legacy vessel materials.
What We Analyze for Shipyards, Marine & Coatings Sites
Every analyte below is run in-house under accreditation. Tap any card for the full method detail on our service pages.
Isocyanates
TDI, MDI and HDI exposures from marine, epoxy and polyurethane spray coatings.
View Service →Solvents & Coating Vapors
Thinners, reducers and carrier solvents from spray application in tanks and confined spaces.
View Service →Total & Respirable Dust
Gravimetric analysis of abrasive and grinding dust where the abrasive is non-silica.
View Service →Asbestos (PLM/PCM)
Legacy vessel insulation and materials. NVLAP-accredited for bulk PLM; PJLA ISO/IEC 17025 accredited for both PLM and PCM.
View Service →Noise & Heat Stress
Dosimetry and WBGT for high-noise yard work and hot confined spaces.
View Service →Exposure Monitoring by Yard & Coating Operation
The dominant hazard shifts with the trade. We match the sampling plan to the work front.
| Operation | Dominant Activity | Priority Analytes | Lab Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Welding & cutting | Carbon & stainless steel, confined spaces | Welding fume, hex chrome, metals | ICP-AES · OSHA ID-215 |
| Abrasive blasting | Hull & structure surface prep | Respirable silica, lead, metals | XRD · NIOSH 7300 / 7082 |
| Coating & painting | Marine, epoxy & polyurethane spray | Isocyanates, solvents | Isocyanate · NIOSH 1500-series |
| Tank & pipe coating (non-marine) | Storage tanks, pipe, structural steel | Silica, lead, hex chrome, isocyanates | XRD · ICP-AES · isocyanate |
| Repair & retrofit | Legacy vessel materials | Asbestos, lead | PLM/PCM · NIOSH 7300 |
| Confined-space entry | Tanks, holds, voids, double bottoms | Solvents, fume, coating vapors | Personal & area sampling |
| General yard | High-noise, outdoor, hot work | Noise, heat stress | Dosimetry · WBGT |
Where Lab Data Fits Against 29 CFR 1915 Subpart B
Shipyard confined and enclosed spaces are governed by 29 CFR 1915 Subpart B. A Marine Chemist certificate is required under § 1915.14(a) before hot work in or adjacent to spaces that contain or have contained flammable or combustible liquids or gases, and fuel tanks. A shipyard Competent Person may test and permit hot work in other spaces under § 1915.14(b), and performs routine pre-entry testing under § 1915.12.
AGT is an analytical laboratory. Those on-site atmospheric tests and certifications must be performed by your Marine Chemist or Competent Person — our accredited exposure data supports the health-hazard side of the program and does not substitute for that certification. Note also that § 1915.35 imposes maritime-specific painting controls, including airline respirators for spraying toxic paints in confined spaces and tanks.
Shipyard Analytes & OSHA Exposure Limits
Shipyard employment carries its own Part 1915 standards. These are the limits your monitoring program is measured against, and the method our lab runs for each.
| Hazard | Shipyard Standard | OSHA Limit | Lab Method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hexavalent chromium | 29 CFR 1915.1026 | 5 µg/m³ TWA (AL 2.5 µg/m³) | OSHA ID-215 |
| Lead | 29 CFR 1915.1025 | 50 µg/m³ TWA (AL 30 µg/m³) | NIOSH 7300 / 7082 |
| Respirable crystalline silica | 29 CFR 1915.1053 | 50 µg/m³ TWA (AL 25 µg/m³) | XRD (NIOSH 7500 / OSHA ID-142) |
| Manganese (welding fume) | 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards | 5 mg/m³ ceiling · ACGIH TLV 0.02 mg/m³ respirable · NIOSH REL 1 mg/m³ TWA | ICP-AES |
| Asbestos | 29 CFR 1915.1001 | 0.1 f/cc TWA · 1.0 f/cc / 30 min | PCM (NIOSH 7400) / PLM |
| TDI & MDI (coatings) | 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards | 0.02 ppm ceiling, each | Isocyanate analysis |
| HDI & HDI biuret (polyurethane) | No OSHA PEL | ACGIH TLV 0.005 ppm · NIOSH REL 0.005 ppm | Isocyanate analysis |
| Total & respirable dust (PNOR) | 1915.1000 Table Z-Shipyards | 15 mg/m³ total · 5 mg/m³ respirable | Gravimetric (NIOSH 0500 / 0600) |
| Noise | 29 CFR 1910.95 (applies to shipyards) | 90 dBA TWA (AL 85 dBA) | Personal dosimetry |
These are federal standards and apply in every state. Non-marine coating and blasting work on land-side tanks, pipe and structural steel falls under general industry (29 CFR 1910) or construction (29 CFR 1926) standards instead — the analytes and methods are identical, only the citation changes.
Turnaround Times & Yard Kits
From kit request to final report — rush options and what ships to your yard or jobsite.
Kits Shipped to Any Yard or Jobsite
- Pre-labeled sampling media (filters, cyclones, tubes)
- Isocyanate sampling media for spray-coating work
- Calibrated pump loaner program for qualifying accounts
- Chain of Custody form, pre-filled with your info
- Prepaid return label — ships to any U.S. yard or jobsite
- Support for confined-space and hot-work sampling
- Standing-account setup for LNG, fabrication & coating scopes
Who Relies on AGT for Shipyard, Marine & Coatings IH
Shipbuilding Yards
New-build hull and structural fabrication with heavy welding, cutting and blasting scopes.
Ship Repair & Retrofit
Dry-dock repair and retrofit disturbing legacy coatings, lead paint and asbestos materials.
LNG Construction & Terminals
LNG terminals and modular fabrication yards nationwide, including the Gulf Coast build-out, with large welding and coating scopes.
Blasting & Coating Contractors
Surface-prep and coating firms — marine and land-side — needing silica, lead, hex chrome and isocyanate data.
Tank & Structural Coating
Storage tank, pipeline and structural-steel applicators running the same blast-and-coat hazard stack.
IH & Safety Consultants
Third-party consultants supporting maritime clients who need an accredited lab partner.
Offshore Fabrication
Platform, module and structural fabrication yards with welding and coating exposure programs.
Barge & Inland Marine
Barge cleaning, repair and recoating fleets on the Gulf Intracoastal, the inland river system and the Great Lakes.
Marine Fabrication Shops
Pipe, vessel and module shops feeding yards, with welding fume and hex chrome programs.
Shipyard, Marine & Coatings IH Testing — FAQ
What are the main IH hazards in shipyards and marine construction?
Do you serve shipyards outside the Gulf Coast?
Do you test hexavalent chromium and lead from abrasive blasting?
Do you cover non-marine industrial coating work as well as shipyards?
Which isocyanates have OSHA exposure limits in shipyard employment?
Can you support confined-space and hot-work monitoring aboard vessels?
Do you handle LNG construction and fabrication yards?
Are your results accepted for OSHA maritime compliance?
Which analytes can you rush to 1 day?
Set Up Shipyard or Coatings Monitoring — Request a Quote
AIHA-LAP accredited · welding fume · hex chrome · blasting silica · lead · isocyanates · solvents · asbestos · 1-day rush · kits shipped to any yard or jobsite in the U.S.