Housekeeping and safety in engine room - Guideline for ships
Merchant Shipping regulations require every dangerous part of a ship's machinery to be securely guarded unless it is so positioned or constructed that it is as safe as if it were securely guarded or is otherwise safeguarded. Summarized below are some basic safety precautions for working onboard machinery spaces. These procedures are only indicative, not exhaustive in nature and one must always be guided by practices of good seamanship
Oily contaminated materials
All oil contaminated rags and other material shall be placed in metal containers and disposed ashore when required (no dumping or incinerating).
Bilges
All pipe or pump leakages shall be repaired as soon as possible to limit the amount of bilge water that is in need of separation and eventually discharge overboard.
Engine Room Workshop
The engine room shall be kept tidy to allow hot work when required. No storage of flammable material is permitted. The personal protective equipment (PPE) shall be prepared in place.
Special Safety Items for attention
Special attention shall be paid to the following in the engine room:
• Floor plates and ladders shall be free form oil or grease and be properly fixed to avoid tripping;
• Exhaust manifolds on engines shall be properly insulated and protected by metal;
• Exhaust manifolds and ducts through the entire casing shall be free from leakages;
• When engine room is unmanned external entrances to the engine room shall be locked except designated entrances;
• Steam pipes and other hot surfaces shall be properly lagged;
• Insulation contaminated by oil or other flammable products shall be renewed;
• No flammable material shall be left in buckets or open containers;
• Short sounding pipes and automatic closing arrangements shall never be left open;
• Bunker tank high level alarm shall be tested before each bunkering operation and at least monthly;
• Leakages of fuel and lube oil shall be contained as soon as possible;
• Thermometers and pressure gauges shall be tested and calibrated on a sequential basis allowing all to be tested annually;
• Areas around fuel and lube oil heating and separating areas shall be kept free from any accumulation of oil;
• The operation of the bilge water separator shall be strictly supervised by the Chief Engineer;
• If any part of the fire detection system is temporarily disengaged due to any repair, e.g. hot work in the area, this shall be clearly mentioned on the work permit;
• All rotating parts shall be kept protected;
• Smoking is not allowed in the engine room; and
• The incinerator shall be used as per manufacturer guideline
• Monthly Safety Inspections to be carried out
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