Inspection and Manner of Doing Work (APR 2010)

(a) All work and material shall be subject to the approval of the Contracting Officer or duly authorized representative. Work shall be performed in accordance with the plans and specifications of this contract as modified by any contract modification.

(b) Unless otherwise specifically provided for in the contract, all operational practices of the contractor and all workmanship and material, equipment and articles used in the performance of work shall be in accordance with American Bureau of Shipping “Rules for Building and Classing Steel Vessels”, U.S. Coast Guard Marine Engineering Regulations and Material Specifications (46 CFR Subchapter F), U.S. Coast Guard Electrical Engineering Regulations (46 CFR Subchapter J), and U.S. Public Health Service “Handbook on Sanitation of Vessel Construction”, in effect at the time of the contract award; and the best commercial maritime practices, except where military specifications are specified, in which case such standards of material and workmanship shall be followed.

(c) All material and workmanship shall be subject to inspection and test at all times during the contractor's performance of the work to determine their quality and suitability for the purpose intended and compliance with the contract. In case any material or workmanship furnished by the contractor is found to be defective prior to redelivery of the vessel, or not in accordance with the requirements of the contract, the Government shall have the right prior to redelivery of the vessel to reject such material or workmanship, and to require its correction or replacement by the contractor at the contractor's cost and expense. This Government right is in addition to its rights under any Guarantee clause in this contract. If the contractor fails to proceed promptly with the replacement or correction of such material or workmanship, as required by the Contracting Officer, the Government may, by contract or otherwise, replace or correct such material or workmanship and charge to the contractor the excess cost to the Government. The contractor shall provide and maintain an inspection system acceptable to the Government covering the work specified in the contract. Records of all inspection work by the contractor shall be kept complete and available to the Government during the performance of the contract and for a period of two (2) years after delivery of the vessel to the Government.

(d) No welding, including tack welding and brazing, shall be permitted in connection with repairs, completions, alterations, or addition to hulls, machinery or components of vessels unless the welder is, at the time, qualified to the standards established by the U.S. Coast Guard, the American Bureau of Shipping, or the Department of the Navy. The welder's qualifications shall be appropriate for the particular service application, filler material type, position of welding, and welding process involved in the work being undertaken. A welder may be required to re-qualify if the Contracting Officer believes there is a reasonable doubt concerning the welder's ability. Welders' qualifications for this purpose shall be governed by the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Engineering Regulations and Material Specifications (46 CFR Subchapter F). When a welding process other than manual shielded arc is proposed or required, the contractor or fabricator shall submit procedure qualification tests for approval prior to production welding. Procedure qualification tests shall be conducted in accordance with the United States Coast Guard Marine Engineering Regulations and Material Specifications (46 CFR Subchapter F).

(e) The contractor shall exercise reasonable care to protect the vessel from fire, and the contractor shall maintain a reasonable system of inspection over the activities of welders, burners, riveters, painters, plumbers and similar workers, particularly where such activities are undertaken in the vicinity of the vessel's fuel oil tanks, magazines or storerooms containing flammable material. A reasonable number of hose lines shall be maintained by the contractor ready for immediate use on the vessel at all times while the vessel is berthed alongside the contractor's pier or in dry dock or on a marine railway. All tanks or bilge areas under alteration or repair shall be cleaned, washed, and steamed out or otherwise made safe by the contractor if and to the extent necessary as required by good marine practice or by current Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations. The Contracting Officer's Representative (COR) shall be furnished with a “gas free” or “safe for hot work” or “safe for workers” certificate before any hot work or entry is done. Unless otherwise provided in this contract, the contractor shall at all times maintain a reasonable fire watch about the vessel, including a fire watch on the vessel while work is being performed thereon.

(f) The contractor shall place proper safeguards and/or effect such safety precautions as necessary, including suitable and sufficient lighting, for the prevention of accidents or injury to persons or property during the prosecution of work under this contract and/or from time of receipt of the vessel until acceptance by the Government of the work performed.

(g) Except as otherwise provided in this contract, when the vessel is in the custody of the contractor or in dry dock or on a marine railway and the temperature becomes as low as 35 degrees Fahrenheit, the contractor shall keep all pipelines, fixtures, traps, tanks, and other receptacles on the vessel drained to avoid damage from freezing, or if this is not practicable, the vessel shall be kept heated to prevent such damage. The vessel's stern tube and propeller hubs shall be protected from frost damage by applied heat through the use of a salamander or other proper means, as approved by the COR.

(h) Whenever practicable, the work shall be performed in a manner which does not interfere with the berthing and messing of personnel attached to the vessel. The contractor shall ensure that assigned personnel have access to the vessel at all times. It is understood that such personnel will not interfere with the work or the contractor's workers.

(i) The Government does not guarantee the correctness of the dimensions, sizes, and shapes shown in any sketches, drawings, plans or specifications prepared or furnished by the Government. Prior to submitting an offer, it is the responsibility of the bidder/offeror to verify the dimensions, sizes, and shapes in materials provided by the Government. Where practical, the Government will make the vessel available for inspection prior to bid opening or the date for receipt of proposals. If the contractor, as a result of inspection or otherwise, discovers any error in the sketches, drawings, plans or specifications, it shall immediately inform the Contracting Officer of the error and proceed in accord with instructions received from the Contracting Officer. The Government is not liable for any claims or charges resulting from additional work performed by the contractor as a result of a patent ambiguity in the sketches, drawings, plans or specifications that was not brought to the attention of the Contracting Officer. The contractor shall be responsible for the correctness of the shape, sizes and dimensions of parts furnished by the contractor under the contract.

(j) The contractor shall at all times keep the site of the work on the vessel free from accumulation of waste material or rubbish caused by contractor employees or the work, and at the completion of the work shall remove all rubbish from and about the site of the work and shall leave the work and its immediate vicinity “broom-clean” unless more exactly specified in this contract.

(k) While in drydock or on a marine railway, the contractor shall be responsible for the closing, before the end of working hours, of all valves and openings upon which work is being done by its workers when such closing is practicable. The contractor shall establish a list and keep the COR cognizant of the closure status of all valves and openings upon which the contractor's workers have been working.

(l) Without additional expense to the Government, the contractor shall employ specialty subcontractors where required by the specifications or when necessary for satisfactory performance of the work.

(m)

(1) Unless otherwise stated in the contract, the contractor shall notify the COR at least 72 hours in advance:

(i) Prior to starting inspections or tests; and

(ii) When supplies will be ready for Government inspection.

(2) Such notification shall be provided either verbally or in writing at the discretion of the COR.