UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

FACULTY OF ENGINEERING

SCHOOL OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

SEMM3823

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT, SAFETY & ECONOMICS

GROUP 1 ASSIGNMENT 2

TRUE EVENT: TITANIC

LECTURER: DR MOHD FIRDAUS BIN MOHD TAIB

SECTION 21

JANUARY 23

2022/2023 - 1
 GROUP MEMBERS

NO. NAME MATRIC ID PHOTO

1 JAZIO BEDE JAUNIS A19EM0140

2 KAPIL KAVI SINGH A19EM0511

3 KUGANESHWARAN A/L A19EM0513

KRISHNAN
4 SOON JIK LONG A19EM0556

5 VICTORIA CLARISSA BINTI A19EM0563

JULIN

2
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION 4
1.1. Background of Study 4
1.2. Objective 4
1.3. Scope 5
2. ACCIDENT CASES 6
3. INCIDENT CASES 8
4. WORKPLACE SAFETY ISSUES 11
5. CONCLUSION 16
6. REFERENCES 17
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 17

3
1. INTRODUCTION
1.1. Background of Study
On 14 April 1912, The R.M.S. Titanic collided with a massive
iceberg and sank in less than three hours. The Titanic sank near
the route to New York City from Southampton, England. It was
sailing to America for the first time with more than 2200 passengers
and crew on board. Only 705 people lived. The Titanic's designers
claimed that even in the worst-case scenario of a maritime calamity,
the ship should have remained afloat for two to three days. Many
deaths due to hypothermia but not drowning. Based on the
information we obtained from studying this case study, we tried to
identify the main reason why this disaster occurred by using our
knowledge we learned from the Engineering Management , Safety
and Economics classes. The Titanic incident is good case study for
engineering students to investigate and learn from.

1.2. Objective

The objectives of this assignment include:

● To study and understand the infamous Titanic

accident that occurred at the Atlantic Ocean, 640
kilometers off the coast of Newfoundland.
● To explain the disaster in three categories which are
accidents, incidents and workplace safety issues by
relating them to FMA 1967 and OSHA 1994
● Apply our knowledge on engineering management,
safety and economics on real life occurences

4
1.3. Scope

● Factories and Machinery Act 1967

● Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994
● Code of ethics

1.4. Summary
The sinking of the Titanic was one of the deadliest maritime
disasters in history, and it caused widespread shock and grief. The
event was made even more tragic by the fact that many of the
ship's lifeboats were not filled to capacity, and that there were not
enough lifeboats on board to save all of the passengers. The
incident also brought attention to the need for better safety
regulations in the shipping industry, and led to changes in maritime
laws to improve safety at sea.These issues encountered led to a
better understanding of the importance of safety regulations in the
shipping industry, and to changes in maritime laws to improve
safety at sea. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at
Sea (SOLAS) was adopted in 1914, which mandated new safety
requirements, including the requirement for all ships to carry
enough lifeboats for all passengers and crew.

5
2. ACCIDENT CASES

An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was

not directly caused by humans. The term accident implies that nobody
should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized
or unaddressed risks.

2.1. Case 1: Rapid sinking of the ship due to poor design of the
compartments.

Poor design of the watertight compartments in the bottom

half of the Titanic contributed to the tragedy. The bottom portion of
the Titanic was split into sixteen significant watertight
compartments, each of which could be quickly shut off in the event
that the hull were to get punctured and start to leak. Six of these
sixteen compartments had hull damage from the collision with the
iceberg. As soon when the damage was noticed, the compartments
were sealed off, but as the ship's bow started to tilt forward due to
the weight of the water in that location, some of the compartments'
water started to overflow into neighbouring compartments. The
compartments were referred to as waterproof, but they were only
so when viewed from the bottom; their tops were open, and the
walls raised just a few feet above the water. The water would have
been better contained within the damaged compartments if the
transverse bulkheads, which are the walls of the watertight
compartments positioned across the breadth of the ship, had been
a few feet taller. As a result, the sinking would have been slowed,
maybe giving time for support from adjacent ships. However, the
Titanic was progressively lowered below the waterline as a result of
the significant flooding of the bow compartments and the following
flooding of the entire ship. (Mohd Nazim, Dr. Ravi Butola, Dr. JP
Kesari, 2021).

6
 OSHA Part V - General Duties of Designers, Manufacturers and
Suppliers Section 20. (1)
Designer of the ship did not design it practically to withstand the
pressure after hitting the iceberg. The possible paths of water
entering the hull within the design should have taken into
consideration. Due to this, rapid sinking of the titanic occurred.

2.2. Case 2: One of the worker got electrocuted by the main generator

One of the workers on the Titanic desperately turned off the

main generator by using bare hands when the ship was tilted at an
angle of approximately 45 degrees. He was killed by an electric
shock from the primary generator. What is electrocution? Since our
bodies conduct electricity, thus If any part of our body meets live
electricity an electric current will flow through the tissues, which
causes an electric shock. Electrocution can result in severe burns,
ongoing agony, tingling, numbness, muscle weakness, and even
loss of life. In order to prevent the worker from receiving an electric
shock, he ought to have been wearing insulating rubber gloves.

Involves:
OSHA 1994 Part VI - General duties of employees, Section 24:
Employees' general responsibilities at work include wearing or
using any protective equipment or clothes provided by the employer
at all times in order to prevent hazards to his safety and health
when operating machinery in the workplace.

7
3. INCIDENT CASES

Incident is defined as an occurrence arising out of or in the course

of work that could or does result in injury and ill health according to ISO
45001. Several incident cases from the Titanic disaster are discussed in
this report.

3.1. Case 1: Titanic passengers at risk near the gunwale of the ship

The first voyage of the Titanic left Southampton, England,

bound for New York City. The Titanic dry dock is releasing
thousands of passengers. They are directly adjacent to the ship's
gunwale when they are on the deck. Additionally, it is rather
congested. In this particular movie scene, Jack Dawson can be
seen ascending the ship's gunwale to take in the view. It is possible
to fall from the ship's gunwale after unintentionally being pushed by
someone else. Falling from the gunwale can result in drowning or a
fatal fall to the bridge's flooring from the dock to the ship.
Passengers must follow Safety of Procedures (SOP) in order to
lower the risk of falling. Avoiding the ship's gunwale is one of the
crucial safety precautions.

OSHA 1994 Part VI

General duties of employees, Section 24: General duties of
employees at work where the person himself should aware to the
dangerous and accident that may be occurs at such working
environment. The employees should not perform any attitude that
may harm his life.

8
3.2. Case 2: Material Failure of Hull Steel

When the Titanic collided with the iceberg, the hull steel and
wrought iron rivets failed due to brittle fracture. Brittle fracture is a
type of catastrophic failure in structural materials that occurs at
extremely high speeds and without prior plastic deformation. It was
determined that the material used to make the Titanic's rivets was
of poor quality and contained excessive sulphur. As a result of the
sheer force of the collision with the iceberg, the top head of the
rivets tore. This allowed water to enter and fill the ship's six
watertight compartments. Low temperature, high impact loading,
and a high sulphur content all contributed to brittle fracture. Each of
these three elements was present on the night the Titanic sank:
The water temperature was below freezing, the Titanic was moving
quickly after colliding with the iceberg, and the hull steel was
sulphur-laden. As a result, it can be concluded that the failure of the
Rivet joint and ripping of the hull plates was a major factor in the
ship's sinking.

FMA 1967 PART II Safety, Health and Welfare Section 10 -18

Construction of the Titanic's Hull Steel was not suitable for the
purpose of travelling under extreme weather conditions, thus
inducing brittle fracture on the hull steel with no prior signs of
deformation to be mitigated beforehand. The material selection of
producing a high capacity vehicle should be of high quality as a
prevention of material failure.

9
3.3. Case 3: The Turning of the Ship

It has long been posited that if the Titanic had not been abruptly
turned in an attempt to avoid hitting the iceberg, the giant ship
would’ve survived the incident. The main captain of the ship,
William Murdoch, ordered that the steering wheel of the ship be
turned all the way left instead of as initially instructed, toward right.
This is also known as hard-a-starboard. Nevertheless, the initial
warning of the impending iceberg directly in front of the ship came
too late, it was impossible for the ship to be steered in a different,
safe direction without causing collateral damage. However, scores
of studies have been done and concluded that minimal and less
life-threatening damages would’ve been imposed on the ship had it
collided with the iceberg head-on, as opposed to turning a sharp
left, which wound up damaging a total of 16 compartments along
the right side of the ship.
Analysis of the incident has shown that the whole fatal event
would’ve been avoidable if the iceberg was detected earlier, though
taking into account the navigation technology employed at the time,
no one could’ve predicted what had transpired afterward.
Nevertheless, the captain of the ship should’ve employed proper
crisis management and mitigation steps to alleviate the situation.

OSHA 1994 Part VIII Notifications of Accidents, Dangerous

Occurrence, Occupational Poisoning and Occupational
Diseases, and Inquiry
The whole incident would’ve been avoided in the first place if the
right safety emergency warning was deployed at the right time in
order for the necessary crisis management steps to be taken
effectively.

10
4. WORKPLACE SAFETY ISSUES
4.1. Issue 1: Lack of Training
The 20 lifeboats weren't fully utilised. At least four of the
lifeboats were only half-full or less. Only 12 people were in a
lifeboat that could hold 40. Captain Edward J. Smith cancelled the
lifeboat exercise that was scheduled on the day the Titanic struck
the iceberg. It's possible that the training affected how the
emergency escape turned out, maybe sparing more lives. (Labib &
Read, 2013)

FMA 1967 Part III - Person in Charge and Certificates of

Competency Section 26. Training and supervision of
inexperienced workers
From the statement above, it can be seen that insufficient training
was given to the workers of the ship. No proper standard operation
procedure was followed during the lifeboat deployment system.

4.2. Issue 2: Insufficient relevant tools

The ship does not have an instrument that is suited for

looking far in front of the ship. The officers stationed on the bridge
did not have access to any search lights or binoculars, so they were
unable to see what was happening in the distance. If they do, they
will be able to inform the pilots sooner, and the ship will be able to
change course sooner, which will prevent the ship from colliding
with the iceberg. According to the findings of the investigation, the
officers on board have around 37 seconds to respond before the
ship collides with the iceberg. It would appear that the officers were
engaging in some lighthearted banter while performing their duties

11
 on the ship's bridge before they became aware of the iceberg. This
may be a significant issue that, as a result of a lack of job
concentration, results in a delay in recognising the iceberg. The
consequences were devastating as the ship collided with the
icebergs, which led to the deaths of thousands of passengers in the
aftermath. It is imperative that suitable equipment, such as
binoculars and radar, be made available in order to prevent the
occurrence of this horrifying tragedy. Sonar can be used to locate
icebergs.

OSHA 1994 Part VI

General duties of employees, Section 24: General duties of
employees at work where the workers should cooperate and
perform any duties or requirements imposed by the employer to
avoid any oversight while carrying out the duty.

FAM 1967 (Revised 1974) Part III

Person in charge and certifications of competency, Section 26:
Training and supervision of novice workers. The persons that are
engaged shall receive sufficient instruction in work on the dangers
expected to arise or he is under proper supervision by a person
who has more expertise in the position. Thus, the workers may be
aware of the danger that may develop and pay greater attention on
his work.

4.3. Issue 3: Lack of lifeboats

Half of the Titanic's maximum number of passengers can fit

in lifeboats and life jackets, but the other half cannot. Only
calculations for ships up to 10,000 tonnes, which require around 16

12
lifeboats, are provided by the statute. Despite weighing 46,328
tonnes, the Titanic ship only had 20 lifeboats. To be able to save
the most passengers, the Titanic ship should carry about 75
lifeboats. In addition, the 20 lifeboats aren't even being used to their
maximum potential. At least four of the lifeboats were only half-full
or less. Only 12 people were in a lifeboat that could hold 40. On the
day the Titanic struck the iceberg, Captain Edward J. Smith called
off the scheduled lifeboat drill. There have been rumours that if the
lifeboat drill had taken place, many more lives might have been
spared. This is a lesson to remind the ship's officers and pilots to
supply enough lifeboats and conduct the lifeboat exercise earlier.

OSHA 1994 Part VII

General duties of employers and self-employed persons, Section
15: General duties of employers and self-employed persons to their
employees where the employers shall alert to the safety of their
employers and prepare enough safety equipment for their
employees.

FAM 1967 (Revised - 1974) Part II

Safety, health and welfare, Section 24: Personal protective clothing
and appliances. Protective equipment that enough for all person
such as life boats should be prepared based on the number of
passengers including the staffs on the ship. Thus, every single life
on the ship can be saved if any accident occurs.

13
4.4. Issue 4: Lack of Overall Maritime Protocol

The fact that the crew of the Titanic had numerous

opportunities to learn about icebergs in the North Atlantic Ocean
before disaster struck. The radio operator, however, failed to act
upon the alert and did not relay it to the proper authorities. Shortly
after realising the ship was sinking, Captain Smith ordered distress
signals to be sent out; unfortunately, the closest ship, the
Californian, had turned off their wireless communication for the
night and did not receive the emergency call for assistance.
Subsequent inquiries revealed that the Californian's crew had
opportunities to help the Titanic, but they declined. The Carpathia
and the Olympic, the only other ships within reasonable distance,
were unfortunately too far away to aid in the rescue efforts in time.
A person would have about 15 minutes to live under the ocean's
surface when the water temperature is 32 degrees Fahrenheit. The
lives of many more people could have been saved by the
Californian if it had been standard practice for ships to keep their
communications on during the night as a form of risk management.

OSHA 1994 Part IV. General Duties of Employers and

Self-Employed Persons

It is the general duty of the occupier of a place of work to persons

other than his employees to provide maritime protocol to assist
ships sailing in the vicinity of the icebergs. The radio operator did
not carry out their duty to warn the Titanic crew of the iceberg. The
disaster could have been prevented earlier and saved the lives of
the occupants of the Titanic. The Californian could have assisted
the Titanic had their wireless communication been turned on that
night.

14
4.5. Issue 5: Lack of Circumstantial Awareness and Evaluation
The lack of circumstantial awareness and evaluation can be seen in
many instances throughout the event of the Titanic. A case in point,
there was a general lack of situational awareness on the side of the
ship’s captain when he intentionally ignored heaps of weather
warnings regarding sea conditions. The right thing to do would’ve
been to employ the necessary crisis management strategies and
preemptive measures to ensure the ship was able to withstand
unforeseen weather and sea conditions. Instead, we see how the
captain repeatedly ignored the potential danger often linked to bad
sea conditions, he also insisted that the ship be operated at a
speed faster than allowed by the operating policy so that they could
arrive faster at the destination. This not only demonstrates a blatant
lack of awareness toward the surroundings, it also clearly reflects
the incompetence and ineptitude of the ship’s captains to prioritise
the safety and wellbeing of the passengers.

1. FMA 1967 Part II - Safety, Health and Welfare: Section 10

2. OSHA 1994 Part VIII Notifications of Accidents,
Dangerous Occurrence, Occupational Poisoning and
Occupational Diseases, and Inquiry

The employees, AKA the people working onboard the Titanic ship
should always prioritise the safety, health and welfare of the
passengers onboard. This is in line with their pledge of duty which
must be fulfilled. Therefore, the decisions they make, which in this
case, regarding the sinking incident, should have the passengers’
best interests at heart.

15
5. CONCLUSION

In this report, we’ve seen in the Titanic event that devoured hundreds of
innocent casualties due to the incompetence and ineptitude of those with
authority, that a proper crisis management strategy and mitigation steps
should’ve been taken first before anything else. In this event, we’ve
divided the report into several sections highlighting key issues present
within each category. Firstly, for accidents, the ones included are poor
design of the compartments and the electrocution of a worker by the main
generator. All these accidents were valid reasons as to why the
management of the Titanic was inherently problematic. Secondly, we’ve
also talked about several important incidents present throughout the
Titanic event and how they impacted the eventual outcome of the painful
event. The ones included are the fact that the passengers were at risk
being near the gunwale of the ship, material failure of the hull steel as well
as the turning of the ship. These incidents have led to a greater series of
smaller incidents, which transpired when a panic erupted across the giant
ship. As highlighted by OSHA 1994 and FMA 1967, these incidents
could’ve been avoided partially if not completely, had the captains and
those with authority, taken heed of the advice. Incidents such as the
turning of the ship was not a mean feat. Thirdly, we also talk about
workplace safety issues, lack of training, lack of lifeboats, lack of overall
maritime protocols, lack of circumstantial awareness and evaluation, as
well as insufficient number of people who went with you. Workplace issues
are of paramount importance when it comes to deciding whether or not the
series of action ensuing would benefit the safety, health and welfare of the
passengers. We’ve also clearly highlighted the importance of tackling
these workplace issues before a ship could be operated again.

16
6. REFERENCES

1. Mohd Nazim, Dr. Ravi Butola, Dr. JP Kesari, "Case Study of Failure of Titanic Ship",
International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Volume 10 Issue 2,
February 2021, pp. 1342-1348,
https://www.ijsr.net/get_abstract.php?paper_id=SR21222163214
2. Labib, A., & Read, M. (2013). Not just rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic:
Learning from failures through risk and reliability analysis. Safety Science, 51(1),
397–413. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssci.2012.08.014
3. Accidents and incidents: OSHwiki. (n.d.).

https://oshwiki.eu/wiki/Accidents_and_incidents

17
7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the opportunity to work
on this group assignment regarding OSHA 1994 and the FMA 1974. We
have learned so much through the research and discussion process on the
infringement of the law based on the real life case study of the ‘Titanic
Disaster’. We would also like to thank you for your guidance and support
throughout the duration of the assignment. Your lectures and feedback
have helped us to better understand the subject matter and to complete
the assignment to the best of our abilities. We would also like to
acknowledge the contributions of our group mates. Working with them has
been a pleasure, and we have learned so much from each other through
our discussions and collaboration throughout the duration of the
assignment. Their insights and ideas have been invaluable in helping us to
complete this assignment. We hope that our project has demonstrated our
dedication to learning and our commitment to making a positive impact in
our field.Thank you again for this wonderful learning experience.

18