Safety and quality on board and at the shipyard
Why care, procedures and documentation are part of the craft
A ship's engine room is one of the more demanding workplaces you can have. Here is heat noise moving parts heavy components and often tight conditions. When you simultaneously work with hot work chemicals and high pressure safety is not an addition to the work — it is part of the craft itself.
§The typical risks
- 01Heavy parts that can crush or fall during lifting and assembly
- 02Hot work with welding and cutting torch — risk of fire and burn
- 03Rotating and moving parts in running machinery
- 04High pressure in pipe hydraulic and cooling systems
- 05Cramped spaces with limited ventilation
- 06Noise and vibrations over time
§To work safely
The first principle is to make the machinery safe before you work on it. A system that can start while your hand is in it is life-threatening. Therefore, you ensure that it cannot be started, that the pressure has been released, and that hot parts have cooled down. Personal protective equipment — eye protection, hearing protection, gloves, safety footwear and respiratory protection where required — is a matter of course.
§Hot work
Welding and cutting create sparks and heat, and on board a ship — with fuel, oil and closed spaces — the fire risk is great. Hot work therefore follows fixed rules: the area is cleared of combustible material, watch is kept and extinguishing equipment is ready, and it is ensured that sparks cannot reach places you cannot see. It is a discipline you never let up on.
§Quality and documentation
Quality is about the work lasting — that a connection is tightened with the right torque, that a repair is done according to the manual, and that the system is tested before use. Part of quality is documenting: what was done, which parts were replaced, what was measured. That documentation makes it possible for the next person to know what has happened and to follow up.
In that way, safety and quality are two sides of the same coin. Work that is performed safely and carefully and documented properly protects both yourself, your colleagues, and the ship. That is the professional attitude the subject is built on.