Sea Water Cooling Systems
- Fit all sea inlets and discharges for the cooling system with shutoff valves. Located them as near the shell plating as practicable.
- Ensure that inlet and discharge valves in unmanned machinery spaces can be remotely operable from an accessible location outside of the compartment in which they are located.
- Ensure that valve controls are readily accessible and that they are provided with an indicator that shows open or closed status.
- Provide cooling system sea water suctions for essential machinery with strainers that can be cleaned without interruption of the water supply. Regularly check and clean.
Lubricating and Hydraulic Oil Systems
- Ensure daily checks on lubricating oil levels – and kept topped up to prevent overheating.
- Fit oil pressure and temperature gauges with audible alarms to indicate failure of the lubrication system. Check on a regular basis.
- Filters should be readily accessible and changed frequently – remember cleanliness is vital to the lubrication system. Make it a point to clean up spills and repair leaks promptly.
- Inspect pipe or hoses regularly for signs of wear, especially at joints or fittings. Don’t run hoses over engines or hot surfaces. Ensure that there are sheet metal shields around hydraulic valves or fittings that are located near the engine to contain atomised oil in the event of a leak.
- Suction strainers are to be cleaned regularly.
Fuel System
- Avoid overfilling and overflow into adjacent tanks when transferring fuel. This can jeopardise stability.
- Ensure that there are means provided under every fuel oil pump, filter, heater, to prevent escaping oil from coming into contact with heated surfaces.
- Fuel oil filters should be checked regularly (check manufacturers specifications).
- Drain day tanks as often as necessary to remove sludge that accumulates on the tank bottom.
- Service centrifuges regularly according to manufacturer's instructions.
