The engine room, as a key area for ship operations, receives special attention from each PSC Officer who boards the ship. They will closely inspect all machinery and equipment to ensure they are in proper working order and compliant with regulations. Any deficiencies found in the engine room can result in citations or even detention of the vessel, according to Safety4Sea.
Deficiency Area
A special Deficiency Area has been assigned, under the title “Propulsion & auxiliary machinery” including 9 Deficiency items under the code 13### as below:
- 13101 – Propulsion main engine
- 13102 – Auxiliary engine
- 13103 – Gauges, thermometers, etc.
- 13104 – Bilge pumping arrangements
- 13105 – UMS – Ship
- 13106 – Insulation wetted through (oil)
- 13107 – Maintenance procedures for all gas-related installations
- 13108 – Operation of machinery
- 13199 – Other (machinery)
However, apart from the above dedicated PSC deficiency codes, a high number of other deficiency codes assigned to other Deficiency areas may be used to describe findings in the Engine Room.
- 04 – Emergency Systems related possible Deficiency codes: 6
- 07 – Fire Safety related possible Deficiency codes: 15
- 08 – Alarms-related possible Deficiency codes: 8
- 09 & 18 – Working & Living Conditions related possible Deficiency codes: 25
- 14- Pollution Prevention related possible Deficiency codes: 25
As a result, the engine room is subject to more potential PSC findings than any other compartment on the ship.
Effective PSC Performance
For any PSC inspection, the first and fundamental rule is to have the related documentation and certificates ready for inspection (valid, updated, properly completed, and signed). Log books, the Oil Record Book, maintenance records, and other related documents should comply with the requirements. Any finding on documentation is an unnecessary issue that demonstrates negligence both from the Head Office and the ship.
The second most important issue is the first impression. Upon entering an engine room for inspection, a PSC officer is ready to find some common issues based on experience, such as oil accumulation, rags, and oily disposed items. The PSC deficiency code system has three codes to support such findings (07126 – Oil accumulation in the engine room, 09232 – Cleanliness of the engine room, 18420 – Cleanliness of the engine room). Therefore, the best way to impress a PSC Officer is to eliminate such common issues immediately. The engine room areas should not only be clean for the PSC inspection but at all times, as poor cleanliness can lead to incidents such as fire, explosion, or injury.
Common Tasks
The most common tasks that the crew will be asked to perform include:
- Activation of Emergency fire pump
- Test the OWS and perform the 15ppm test
- Activate the Emergency Generator and test the emergency Board
- Inspect and check the quick-closing valves
- Activate the E/R Alarms
- Check the ability of Fixed Fire system activation
Engine Department Officers should be ready to perform the above actions and duties without hesitation and without seeking assistance from other crew members. This should be their standard operating procedure every day, not just during inspections.
Managers and operators should implement systems to monitor and check the status of documents, the maintenance and performance of equipment and machinery, and crew performance and ability to operate the machinery. As this is very difficult to monitor remotely from the office, frequent visits on board or the presence of training teams are effective ways to achieve the goals and targets, not only for good PSC performance but also for promoting a high level of safety and culture.
Deficiency Codes
04 – Emergency Systems related
- 04102 – Emergency fire pump and its pipes
- 04103 – Emergency, lighting, batteries, and switches
- 04106 – Emergency steering position com./ compass reading
- 04107 – Emergency towing arrangements and procedures
- 04114 – Emergency generator
- 04116 – Means of communication between safety center and other control stations)
07 – Fire Safety related
- 07101 – Fire prevention structural integrity
- 07103 – Division – decks, bulkheads, and penetrations
- 07105 – Fire doors/openings in fire-resisting divisions
- 07106 – Fire detection and alarm system,
- 07107 – Fire patrol, 07108 – Ready availability of firefighting equipment
- 07109 – Fixed fire extinguishing installation
- 07110 – Firefighting equipment and appliances
- 07112 – Emergency Escape Breathing Device and disposition
- 07113 – Fire pumps and its pipes
- 07114 – Remote Means of control (opening, pumps, ventilation, etc.) Machinery spaces
- 07115 – Fire-dampers
- 07116 – Ventilation
- 07120 – Means of escape
- 07126 – Oil accumulation in the engine room
08 – Alarms related
- 08102 – Emergency signal
- 08103 – Fire alarm
- 08104 – Steering gear alarm
- 08105 – Engineers’ alarm
- 08107 – Machinery controls alarm
- 08108 – UMS – alarms
- 08109 – Boiler alarm
- 08110 – Closing water-tight doors alarm
09 & 18 – Working & Living Conditions related
- 09201 – Ventilation (Working spaces)
- 09202 – Heating, 09203 – Lighting (Working spaces)
- 09204 – Safe means of access
- 09208 – Protection machinery
- 09209 – Electrical
- 09210 – Machinery
- 09211 – Steam pipes and pressure pipes
- 09212 – Danger areas, 09213 – Gas instruments
- 09214 – Emergency cleaning devices
- 09218 – Protection machines/parts
- 09219 – Pipes, wires (insulation)
- 09232 – Cleanliness of engine room
- 09233 – Guards – fencing around dangerous machinery parts
- 18301 – Noise, vibration, and other ambient factors
- 18407 – Lighting (Working spaces)
- 18408 – Electrical
- 18411 – Emergency cleaning devices
- 18414 – Protection machines/parts
- 18415 – Entry dangerous spaces
- 18420 – Cleanliness of engine room
- 18421 – Guards – fencing around dangerous machinery parts
- 18422 – Asbestos fibers
- 18424 – Steam pipes, pressure pipes, wires (insulation)
14- Pollution Prevention related
- 14103 – Segregation of oil and water ballast
- 14104 – Oil filtering equipment
- 14108 – 15 PPM Alarm arrangements
- 14109 – Oil/water interface detector
- 14119 – Oil and oily mixtures from machinery spaces
- 14122 – Oil fuel tank protection
- 14123 – Accidental oil outflow performance
- 14402 – Sewage treatment plant
- 14403 – Sewage comminuting and disinfecting system
- 14404 – Sewage discharge connection
- 14601 – Technical files and if applicable, monitoring manual
- 14602 – Record book of engine parameters
- 14603 – Approval for exhaust gas cleaning system
- 14604 – Bunker delivery notes
- 14605 – Type approval certificate of incinerator
- 14606 – Diesel engine relating to air pollution control
- 14607 – Quality of fuel oil
- 14608 – Incinerator incl. operations and operating manual
- 14610 – Operational procedures for engines or equipment
- 14611 – Ozone-depleting substances
- 14612 – SOx records,14614 – Sulphur oxides
- 14615 – Fuel change-over procedure
- 14616 – Alternative arrangements (SOx)
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Source: Safety4sea
