A smooth running ship
is a product of efficient handling at
the bridge and effective management in the 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 authorised 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 watch keeping procedure, we
have compiled a list of 12 ways which will help a marine engine on board ship
to master the watch keeping 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 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 watch keeper, an engineer must use all the
6 senses- i.e. touch, hearing, smell, visuals, taste and kinaesthetic senses (6th Sense). All these senses when applied
correctly help an engineer to understand the condition of machines in a better
way.
Touch: Feeling a machine for its temperature
can tell you about the condition inside the machinery, for e.g. High
temperature means something wrong.
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 change of the sound.
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.
Taste: Your tongue can identify different tastes;
and you can apply this characteristic to your watch keeping routines, for e.g.
Tasting can help to identify the difference between sea water and fresh
water as both of them are used as prime mediums for cooling on ships.
Visual: The most commonly used sense of all is the
power of visualisation, helpful in identifying engine room and machinery
conditions. Whenever you enter the engine room you must start looking for any
kind of visual abnormality.
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
watch keeping procedures.
4.
Interpreting log book: A smart engineer would
know the importance of engine room log book 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
log book and using them to analyse 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 watch keeper, 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 log book
for future reference.
7.
Never Neglect Any Alarm: Alarm systems in the engine room are 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 watch keepers 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 team work 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 watch keeper
should also use his/her own judgement when the need arises. Take inputs and
advices 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
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.
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