Useful Ideas from the Club's Ships

When visiting Members' ships the five ship inspectors employed by the Club often observe good and useful ideas, which may save time but also show good practice for that vessel. Not all the ideas featured may be practical for every type of ship, but they may nevertheless be of interest to many Members.

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Scupper Filter Back to top ^^ Scupper plugs are inserted during bunkering and some cargo operations. When removed, any water on deck can drain away - including any oily water. Oily water can easily be present on deck when, for example, plugs are removed from savealls during bunkering operations to drain rain water, in the event that it rains during bunker operations, or when loading/discharging dirty dry bulk cargoes. The crew on one ship entered in the Association have devised and built a filter for fitting over each scupper. When the scupper plugs are removed, water can drain away from the decks only after passing through the filter. Click on an image to enlarge.

Smoking Signage Back to top ^^ The image illustrates signage addressing smokers and non-smokers, as seen on an entered ship during a ship inspection. The notice warns crew of the exposure to the risks of passive smoking when in designated smoking areas. Click on the image to enlarge.

Cigarette Lighters on board Back to top ^^ Intrinsically safe lighters have been installed at approved smoking locations on board one fleet following the ISGOTT requirements (4.2.2.4). Mechanical lighters and portable lighters with electrical ignition sources are prohibited onboard this particular tanker fleet. Disposable lighters present a significant risk as an uncontrolled ignition source. Click on an image to enlarge.

Deck door markings Back to top ^^ Staircase, elevator and other doors opening into gangways provide the opportunity for a crewmember walking past the door to be hit by it when opened from the other side. The image shows how the crew on one ship have reduced this risk by painting marks on the deck. The markings remind ships staff to take care when passing, as these doors may open suddenly. This can be accompanied by a notice on the other side of the door warning crew to open slowly!

Preventing the blockage of hatch drains Back to top ^^ The image shows a device fabricated by crew on board a bulk carrier for putting into hatch drain holes during cargo operations. The purpose of the device, which is very effective, is used to prevent cargo pieces and particles from blocking the drains. Click on the image to enlarge.

Flashlight stowage Back to top ^^ A Club ship inspector recently found on one ship, on either side of the bridge, purpose-built stowage slots for flashlights. Having proper stowage positions for flashlights means that members of the bridge team can easily and quickly locate the torches in darkness. In this example, each slot contains a glow in the dark ring to aid location. Click on an image to enlarge.

Access hatch lid damper Back to top ^^ A chief engineer suffered injury when an access hatch lid dropped on his toes. The lid dropped suddenly when a sling parted. Since the incident, a piston-type damper (shock absorber) has been fitted to the hatch lid to ensure that it always closes at a slow and controlled rate. Various images below illustrate the damper which will prevent sudden closures of the hatch lid and possible personal injury incidents. Click on an image to enlarge.

Non-slip stair treads Back to top ^^ When steps are wet or icy there is a risk of ships staff loosing their footing and receiving a back injury. The crew of this UK Club ship have affixed strips of non-slip tread on all steps around the accommodation block to prevent slips and falls. The steps could further be improved by highlighting the top and bottom steps a different colour from other steps and decks. Click on the image to enlarge.

Chain mail gloves for cutting in the galley Back to top ^^ The images show a cook wearing chain mail gloves in the galley. The gloves, which are easy to clean in hot soapy water, are a good idea particularly when cutting meat. Mail is used ashore for protection by butchers (against meat-packing equipment), scuba divers (against shark teeth) and animal control officers (against animal teeth). The British police use mail gloves for dealing with knife-armed aggressors. Modern re-enactors of medieval battles and living history also use mail. Click on an image to enlarge.

Emergency escape set in the elevator Back to top ^^ Emergency Escape Breathing Devices are to be placed around the ship to aid escape from a smoke-filled environment. The Club's ship inspectors rarely see a set placed in a ship's elevator, unlike in this example where there was also a torch. Click the image to enlarge.

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