UNIT 3

Safety Precautions to be Observed During a Watch and

Immediate Actions to be Taken

This is the last unit in our Prelim.

In this unit gives you an overall
picture of shipboard’s internal
communication systems, methods,
and procedures. The Fire Plan and
the actions to be taken in the event of
emergency

Here are the major learning outcomes of this unit:

Explain the need to be at places where communication with bridge and chief
engineer is always available except engine room rounds or carrying communication
means
Explain the need to have an incentive and positive mental attitude emphasizing that officers
in charge of the engineering watch assume a great responsibility in the safe navigation
Explain the need to pay continuous attention to all the running parameters of machinery and
to what tasks are being carried out by other personnel concerned
Explain the need to be well-versed in structure of the engine room including evacuation route
and installations/equipment for emergency
State that arrangements of fire-extinguishing installations should be clearly understood
including sorts and number of fire-extinguisher in accordance with types of ship
State immediate actions to be taken in the event of accidents such as fire, a person
overboard, oil spill and flooded, emphasizing that the appropriate immediate actions
minimize damage
Explain necessary measures to contain oil spreading in the event of oil spill including
communicating information/report, preparation of the dedicated apparatus against oil spill,
plugging of scupper pipes and stopping oil systems
 LESSON 1
Safety Precautions to be Observed During a Watch and
Immediate Actions to be Taken

Whenever we communicate, we make

every effort is to ensure the speed,
accuracy, reliability, and security of the
communication. Bear in mind that although
accuracy, reliability, and security are
essential, those efforts will be wasted unless
the communication is made in ample time to
be completely effective.

Ship’s Communication System

The success of all ship’s operations depends on teamwork. What is teamwork?
Teamwork is the coordinated actions of two or more members of a team. How do
we achieve this coordinated action? By exchanging ideas, information, and orders,
we let others know what we are doing or are planning to do. Without
communications, the shipboard team is not really a team. It is merely a group of
people doing different jobs, with little chance for actually accomplishing the
mission. Therefore, every member of the shipboard team must become an expert in
voice communications.

SHIP’S SERVICE TELEPHONES

Although the ship’s service telephones are not part of the battle communication
system, they can prove invaluable if the regular systems fail. They are standard
telephones powered by the ship’s generators and are normally used in carrying out
the administrative routine aboard ship. Two features expedite the telephone-calling
process: the executive cut-in telephone and the hunt-the-not-busy-line feature.

Executive cut-in telephones, clearly marked, are for emergency calls and for the use
of persons in authority. Operationally, these telephones are the same as a standard
telephone but are limited in number and can be used to call a station that is in use.
Instead of a busy signal being returned, the cut-in phone breaks into the circuit. The
caller then can interrupt the conversation in progress to deliver an important
message. The hunt-the-not-busy-line feature can be used when a call is made to an
area that has a group of consecutively numbered telephone stations. After the
lowest numbered station has been dialed, the switchboard connects the calling
station to the lowest numbered idle telephone. When all the circuits of the group
called are in use, a busy signal is returned as with a standard telephone.
Reference:
https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/library/policy/navy/nrtc/14308_ch3.pdf

Mastering the Engine Room Watchkeeping Procedure

Watchkeeping is an integral part of the marine engineer’s duties on board ship. A lot
of maintenance work can be reduced by following an efficient watchkeeping
routine in the ship’s engine room. Moreover, it can also avoid serious accidents from
taking place.

But what is the true yardstick for measuring the efficiency of a watchkeeping
procedure? A smooth-running ship is a product of efficient handling at the bridge
and effective management in the ship’s engine room under any seagoing
condition.

When a marine engineer is approved to be the in charge of the engine room, he is

eligible and officially authorized to handle a ship’s engine of “Unlimited Power”.

It is therefore important that the watch keeping procedure, a daily routine that has
to be carried out every single day, is done in the most systematic manner to prevent
any kind of breakdown.

Though there is no ultimate yardstick to measure the efficiency of a watchkeeping

procedure, we have compiled a list of 12 ways which will help a marine engine on
board ship to master the watchkeeping procedure.

1. Knowledge is the Base: The first and most important step to enhance your
duties during a watch is to have a very strong knowledge base. One must
know the basics of the machines and their operations, new trends and
upcoming technologies, and maritime regulations along with their
amendments. Knowledge gives a great boost to the engineer’s confidence
level and also results in more accurate job decisions. Engine room operation
also requires information from other domains of engineering such as
 mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, electrical and electronic systems,
refrigeration etc. Knowing these fundamentals makes an engineer’s
foundation stronger.
2. Follow Your Instincts: It is commonly said on ships that in order to become a
good watchkeeper, an engineer must use all the 6 senses- i.e. touch, hearing,
smell, visuals, taste and kinesthetic senses (6th Sense). All these senses when
applied correctly help an engineer to understand the condition of machines
in a better way.
o Touch: Feeling a machine for its temperature can tell you about the
condition inside the machinery, for e.g. High temperature means
something wrong.
o Hearing: It is always advisable to keep a track of sounds coming from
different machines in the engine room as any abnormality would result
in a change of the sound.
o Smell: Another powerful sense that helps to determine a problem is -
smell. Burning of parts or accessories due to increase in temperature,
oil leakage, chemicals etc. can be easily identified using this sense.
o Taste: Your tongue can identify different tastes; and you can apply this
characteristic to your watchkeeping routines, for e.g. Tasting can help
to identify the difference between seawater and freshwater as both of
them are used as prime mediums for cooling on ships.
o Visual: The most commonly used sense of all is the power of
visualization, helpful in identifying engine room and machinery
conditions. Whenever you enter the engine room you must start
looking for any kind of visual abnormality.
o 6th Sense: Considered to be the most powerful of all senses, your inner
feeling (gut feeling) can sometimes prove to be a lifesaver during
watch keeping. Listen to it when you feel there is something wrong in
the engine room. However, don’t rely on it blindly; back it up with
proper procedures.
3. Go By The Book: Every Engine room is provided with hundreds of documents –
Manuals, operating instruction, and safety and pollution prevention
instructions just to name a few. Follow them religiously during your
watchkeeping procedures.
4. Interpreting logbook: A smart engineer would know the importance of
engine room logbook and would also know how to interpret previous
readings of different machines from the same. Interpreting log means
keeping a track of previous records of machinery parameters from the
logbook and using them to analyze the present situation or to identify a
problem.
5. Clear Communication: Efficient communication between maritime
professionals is an important factor for a safe and efficient operation
onboard. If you are a watchkeeper, you must clearly communicate all kinds
of operations and problems/ suspicions with your seniors and crew members.
An efficient engine room-bridge communication is also very important to
make sure that navigational officers at the bridge can plan their procedures
or stay prepared for any kind of situation.
 6. Take a Complete Round, Don’t Skip Any Machinery: Automation and alarm
systems of machines are always helpful in detecting early-stage faults;
however, it is a known fact that human vigilance is more capable of
detecting and interpreting errors more accurately. When on engine room
round, all machines on all levels must be examined for proper operation.
Moreover, also make sure that you note your findings in the logbook for future
reference.
7. Never Neglect Any Alarm: Alarm systems in the engine room are an
indication or pre-warning of any abnormality in the engine room machines.
Sometimes due to a technical glitch such as connection or electronic fault,
an alarm would become faulty and give out audio and visual warnings after
every few minutes. This generates a habit among watchkeepers to ignore the
alarm totally and to cancel it from the control room. However, make sure
that you are able to differentiate between the faulty and normal alarm, and
also keep a track on the repairing work of faulty alarm so that you are aware
when it is back to normal condition.
8. Do Not Hide Faults: If you see any kind of fault while taking rounds or have
committed a mistake, never try to hide it. Remember that even the smallest
fault can become dangerous if unattended at the correct time. Always
report the incident to your superiors and try to remove or repair the fault as
soon as possible.
9. Call for Help When in Need: In an engine room having hundreds of machines,
faults are bound to happen. Sometimes you may feel that the fault is big and
a single person won’t be able to handle it alone. In such situations, don’t
hesitate to ask for help. Ship operation is all about teamwork and you should
respect that and know its importance.
10. Obey Orders: A good watch keeper must follow eligible orders from seniors,
who have better experience and understanding of machines. However, a
smart watchkeeper should also use his/her own judgement when the need
arises. Take inputs and advice from your seniors, but be confident while
carrying out your duties.
11. Follow Alcohol Policy: Never ever commence or carry out your watch under
the influence of alcohol, as it may interfere with your decision-making
abilities. Always follow your company alcohol policy. In case you are under
influence of alcohol, don’t be ashamed to inform your seniors.
12. Avoid Fatigue: Fatigue is the biggest reason behind human mistakes on a
ship. Always take proper rest in your free time and avoid working when tired.
Though this is tough to follow most of the time, ask your seniors for a brief
break so that you can freshen up and get back to work with more energy
and enthusiasm.
Reference: https://www.marineinsight.com/guidelines/12-ways-to-master-the-
engine-room-watch-keeping-procedure/

A Brief Overview of Fire Control Plan on Ship

The Fire Control Plan is a mandatory requirement of SOLAS convention described in

Regulation 15 of Chapter II. The fire control plan provides us information about fire
station on each deck of the ship, on various bulkheads, and in spaces enclosed by
“A” class division, “B” class divisions. It also explains us the type of fire detection
system and fire fighting systems available on ship.

Fire alarms, appliances, escape route, Switches etc.

Fire control plan tells us about various fire alarm systems, sprinkler installation,
extinguishing appliances, means of escape to different compartments and decks,
and ventilation system including particulars of remote operation of dampers and
fans. The position of various dampers, their marking, and which fan is for particular
compartment or deck is also explained so that required damper and fans can be
closed in case of fire.

Graphic Symbol

The graphical symbols used in the fire control plan should be as per fighting
equipment symbols set out in IMO Assembly Resolution A.654(16). It is duty of each
and every member of ship’s crew to know the meaning of the symbols used in this
plan.

Language

The fire plan should be available in the working language of the crew on board and
also in English.

Location and Availability

The general arrangement plan should be permanently exhibited for the guidance of
ship officer in conspicuous locations such as navigating bridge, engine room and
accommodation.

At least one copy of the fire control plan shall be available ashore at the offices of
the Company.

Copies of the fire control plan must be provided to each of the members of the fire
patrol team in a passenger ship and also posted at each continuously manned
central control station.

A copy of Fire Control Plan should be permanently stored in prominently marked

weathertight enclosures outside deckhouse for assistance of shore side fire fighting
system in case the ship is in port or in dry-dock.

Also with the permission of Administration i.e classification society, the details can be
set out in the form of booklet and a copy of it shall be supplied to each officer
onboard. One copy of the same should be available on board and be easily
accessible. These plans should be kept up-to-date and if alterations are made shall
be recorded as soon as possible. The fire plan should be available in the working
language of the crew on board and also in English language.
Renewal, update of Fire control plan

It comes under the responsibility of the master, ship owner and ship management
team at shore to ensure that the fire control plan is kept up to date and if alterations
are made shall be recorded as soon as possible.

Following are the cases when renewal or update in the fire control plan is required:
Change in the fire fighting system, alarm system, escape route design or
anything related to current fire plan takes place. The new system or design
must be included and approval should be taken from the classification
society
Modification In ship structure or ship particulars which effect the current fire
plan must be added to the new plan with approval of the classification
society
In case of revision of statutes related to fire control plan under SOLAS done by
IMO or similar authority, the new fire plan to be provided and the fire fighting
system or equipment must be as per the new revised plan
When change of flag in a ship happens, the assigned classification society
must review the ship fire control plan
During the change of classification society, the fire control plan must be
reviewed

Survey Requirement

The Classification society surveyor must ensure that there shall are discrepancies
between the content of the fire control and the record of approved cargo ship (or
passenger ship) safety equipment carried on board. In addition, the various entries
in the record should correspond to the particulars of the equipment carried on
board and with the associated service and maintenance reports and records.

Following surveys are required

Initial Survey: This is the survey to be done for issuing the approved fire control plan
to the newly built ship.

Annual Survey: The fire control plan survey comes under the continuous ship safety
equipment survey (CSSE) which is performed annually.

Renewal Survey: If the CSSE certificate is under renewal period requiring a survey,
the fire control plan will require this survey.

The attending surveyor is required and expected to make a specific and explicit
statement in the report of the relevant survey as to whether he has examined and
has verified that the content of fire control plan found on board are in a readable
state, updated, approved (or examined for compliance) and in accordance with
the requirements of Regulations under SOLAS.

Importance of Fire control Plan

The Fire control plan is not just a paper requirement for the classification
society or the port state control. It is a useful document to understand:
The location of various firefighting and safety equipment onboard for new
joiners
Location of nearest and safest fire fighting equipment and escape route
when fighting fire on ship
The port fire fighting station team has no clue about the ship arrangement.
The fire control plan is extremely useful and easy to read document to tackle
major fire on ship by port Fire fighters
Fire control plan is an important part of safety management plan of the ship
and any discrepancy may lead to non conformities against the SMS
Copy of Fire control plans kept the shore officer is also inspected while
issuing/ re-issuing the document of compliance (DOC) and safety
management certificate (SMC) to the company

Your Guide to Tackle Emergency Situations On Board Ships

An emergency situation on ship must be handled with confidence and calmness, for
haste decisions and “jumping to conclusions” can make the matters even worse.
Efficient tackling of emergency situations can be achieved by continuous training
and by practical drills onboard vessel. However, it has been seen that in spite of
adequate training, people get panic attacks and eventually do not do what they
should in an emergency situation.

As far as the seafarer is concerned, first and foremost, he or she must be aware of
the different types of emergency situations that can arise on board ship. This would
help in understanding the real scenario in a better way, and would also lead to
taking correct actions to save life, property, and environment.

We have prepared a brief instruction guide that must be given to all the seafarer
onboard to tackle different emergency situations.

Emergency Situation Guide

Officers and crew should familiarize themselves thoroughly with the Fire Training
Manual and the training manual on Life Saving Appliances of the ship.

General Alarm
In case of a general alarm:
 Rush to muster station with life jacket, immersion suit, and act
according to the vessel’s Muster Lists.
Act as per the emergency explained by the in charge officer.

Fire alarm
In case of a fire alarm:
Inform Officer On Watch.
Check if it is a false or true alarm.
Report back of findings.
In case of fire, raise the Fire/General alarm as soon as possible. Try to
stop fire and if it is not possible, muster according to the Fire Muster List.
Man Overboard signal
In case of Man Overboard Signal:
Rush to the deck and try to locate the crew member fallen in the
water
Throw lifebuoy and inform deck.
Abandon Ship Signal
In case of Abandon Ship Signal:
Rush to the muster station
Carry as much ration, water, and warm clothing as you can carry
Act according to the vessel’s Muster Lists.
Engineers Call
In case of engineers call:
All Ship Engineers Should assemble in the Engine Control Room
CO2 alarm
In case of CO2 alarm, leave the Engine Room immediately.
Engine Room Flooding
In case of engine room flooding, Chief Engineer should be called
immediately and general alarm should be raised.
Immediate action should be taken in preventing more sea water to
enter the engine room and Emergency bilging from the Engine Room
should be established in accordance with the Chief Engineer.
Cargo Hold Flooding
In case of cargo hold flooding, Master must be informed immediately.
All precaution must be taken to contain the flooding to that hold.
General alarm must be raised.
Pollution prevention
In case of any oil spill/pollution immediate action should be taken according
to the vessel’s “Shipboard Oil Pollution Prevention Plan”.
Emergency Plan (SOPEP) and Onboard SOPEP Equipment located in Deck
Stores should be used in case of Oil Spill.
In case of any other emergency situations, call for help either by using the phone or
by activating the EMERGENCY CALL. Whatever might be the situation, keep the
Master, Chief Engineer and Officer on Watch informed of the situation all the time.
Reference: https://www.marineinsight.com/marine-safety/your-guide-to-tackle-
emergency-situations-on-board-ships/
Perform the following:

Item #1 Create a Muster List. Assign each crew in the event of Emergency. The
emergencies must include Fire, Abandonship and Rescue. Refer to the list of Crew
below. Use 8.5 inch x 13 inch Bond Paper with 1 inch x 1 inch Border
Crews:
Deck Department:
Master, Chief Officer, Second Officer, Third Officer, Bosun, AB1, AB2, AB3, Deck
Cadet1, Deck Cadet2

Engine Department:
Chief Engineer, Second Engineer, Third Engineer, Fourth Engineer, Oiler, Engine
Cadet1, Engine Cadet2, Senior Electrical Engineer, Junior Electrical Engineer

Galley Department:
Chief Cook, Second Cook, Messman

Description 4-5 2-3 0-1 Score

Content Knowledge The tree map shows all of
the required elements.
None of the parts show
an incorrect placement
Work quality/effort The work done exceeds
all expectations and
shows that the learner is
proud of his/her work. The
effort that was put into
this task is the best it can
be by the learner.
Creativity Eye catching. Great use
of colors, texture, shapes,
and spacing on poster.
Artwork is the students
own & is neat. Writing is
easy to read.
Format/presentation The muster list is of
exceptional quality and
presentation. Submitted
on time.
Total
The muster list is lacking in
elements required. A few
of the parts show an
incorrect placement
The work was done with
good effort that shows
what the learner is
capable of. It is evident
that time was put into the
tree map
Contains students own
writing and drawing. Lots
of colors, shapes, and
appealing design. Shows
the student spent time
creating an artistic piece.
The muster list is the
correct size, clean and
neatly displayed.
Submitted on time.
Obtained
The muster list is
lacking in elements
required. Several of
the parts show an
incorrect placement
Work is done with
little effort, quality is
not what the learner
is capable of. It is
evident that the work
was rushed and little
time was spent on
the final product.
Work is incomplete.
Not very appealing.
Limited use of
creative materials.
Not a lot of
color/shapes/design.
Not on required
paper size and poorly
presented.
Assignment was
submitted late.