Here on the JOIDES Resolution, the safety of all on board is very important! There is a lot of very heavy equipment around, low ceiling areas, and material that could fly loose and injure someone. Some areas of the ship require that hard hats and safety glasses be worn while in other areas, it is also necessary to wear steel-toed shoes and ear plugs. I’m here on the core deck, which is outside near the drilling floor. You will notice in the photos below that when the core liner is brought up to be cut and marked, all involved must wear hard hats and glasses.

Black and yellow stripped lines are found on all decks. You cannot cross beyond the line without the proper safety equipment. In other areas, such as where the rock cores are sawed in half, ear protection is also necessary as it gets very loud in the room. In fact, there are sliding doors to isolate the room when cutting is occurring so others aren’t exposed to the loud noise. Safety glasses are needed to protect workers from small pieces of rock that could fly through the air during the cutting process.

JR reminds you that safety is also important around your home and school, especially when doing any science experiments.