Top 10 Cargo Vessel Deficiencies—Part II

Excerpted from “Top Ten Deficiencies Found on Vessels.” Full text available on http://homeport.uscg.mil/. Navigate to missions/investigations/safety reports.

See Part I here.


Lighting Fixture 46 CFR 111.75-20
All light fixtures subject to damage must have a guard or be made of high-strength material. The majority of deficiencies are related to the guard or missing or damaged fixtures.

Generators 46 CFR 111.12 & 112.50
More than 40 percent of all generator deficiencies indicate that the crew and/or shipyard personnel were either unavailable or unable to demonstrate proper operation.

Twenty percent are due to water, oil, or exhaust leakage, where any visible leakage will result in an “835” deficiency.

Fixed Carbon Dioxide 46 CFR 91.25-20 and 147.65, NVIC 6-72
Owner/operator checklist:

• All piping controls, valves, and alarms need to be checked for proper operation and 90 percent charge must be verified.


• The pressure drop through cylinder connections may not exceed 150 psi per minute over a two-minute period while subjected to the test pressure.


• All carbon dioxide cylinders must be retested every 12 years.

Wiring Materials and Methods 46 CFR 111.60, 46 CFR 111.81
Using temporary wiring where equipment must be hard-wired is the most common finding (40 percent), and dead-end wires account for 18 percent of inspection deficiencies.

General Watertight Integrity
Owner/operator checklist:

• After a drydocking, ensure that any labels removed by the shipyard are replaced.


• If modifications involve removing cables or pipes that ran through watertight bulkheads, ensure that the shipyard sealed the holes.


• Inspect all weatherdeck tank vents for rust-thru perforations.

For more information:
For more information, contact your local Coast Guard Sector/Inspections Division. For a listing of sector offices, click on “Sector Map” on http://homeport.uscg.mil/.

Stay tuned for:
Top 10 Offshore Supply Vessel Deficiencies