Winter 2011 Nautical Engineering Questions Part—1

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine. Nautical Engineering Queries Questions Part—1.

1. Coast Guard regulations (46 CFR) concerning shutoff valves located inside fuel oil tanks state that the valves __________.

A. shall be arranged for local control

B. must be made of steel

C. must be power-operated

D. may be made of cast iron

2. The distance between a generator and its load is 100 feet. What would be the approximate total voltage drop across a two-wire supply cable if the current was 5.5 amperes and the resistance of the wire was 2.525 ohms per 1,000 feet?

A. 0.5 volts

B. 1.38 volts

C. 1.90 volts

D. 2.77 volts

3. In a closed feed and condensate system, the drain from the second-stage air ejector returns directly to the __________.

A. auxiliary condenser

B. loop seal

C. atmospheric drain tank

D. de-aerating feed tank

4. Which of the turbocharging systems listed operates with the least average back pressure in the exhaust manifold?

A. constant volume

B. constant-pressure

C. pulse-pressure

D. radial flow

Stay tuned to see the answers to these Nautical Engineering Queries.

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Understanding Anhydrous Ammonia

This "Chemical of the Quarter" excerpt is from the U.S. Coast Guard “Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council” magazine, by Ms. Sara S. Ju, senior chemical engineer, U.S. Coast Guard Hazardous Materials Standards Division.

What is it?

Ammonia (NH3), or anhydrous ammonia, is one of the most commonly produced industrial chemicals in the United States. About 80 percent of the ammonia produced by industry is used in agriculture as fertilizer.

It is a colorless gas at ambient conditions. It is poisonous, extremely irritating, corrosive, and pungent. It can also easily dissolve in water to form ammonium hydroxide, a caustic solution.

How is it shipped?

Bulk anhydrous ammonia is typically shipped as a liquefied compressed gas. In the U.S., ammonia is transported in pipelines, pressure tank cars, pressure tank trucks, pressure tanks, and refrigerated barges. For long-distance marine shipping, ammonia is usually carried in mid-size liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) ships.

Why should I care?

Shipping concerns.

Liquefied ammonia is usually shipped at a low temperature. LPG ships or barges carrying ammonia are either fully refrigerated (FR) or semi-refrigerated (SR).

FR LPG ships have a large cooling capacity and keep the ammonia fully refrigerated at -27 degrees Fahrenheit and a vapor pressure below the atmospheric pressure. SR LPG ships have a less powerful cooling capacity and can keep the ammonia at the liquefied condition with a temperature of -15 to 5 degrees F and a vapor pressure of 4 to 5 atmosphere pressure. Because ammonia is poisonous, it is very important to prevent it from leaking out of its cargo tanks.

Health concerns.

Anhydrous ammonia is extremely irritating and corrosive. It is classified by the Department of Transportation as a poisonous, non-flammable compressed gas and defined by the Coast Guard as a “toxic cargo” (46 CFR 154.7).

As a gas, it is an inhalation hazard and can cause breathing difficulty, coughing, lung injury, and a burning sensation and pain in the eyes and respiration system. As a liquid, it can cause burns and frostbite.

Fire or explosion concerns.

Ammonia is a fire hazard when in high concentrations and at high temperature. Presence of oil or other combustible vapors increase the fire hazard.

What is the Coast Guard doing about it?

Ships carrying liquefied compressed ammonia are regulated by the Coast Guard in 46 CFR Part 154—Safety Standards for Self-Propelled Vessels Carrying Bulk Liquefied Gases. Barges carrying liquefied compressed ammonia are regulated by 46 CFR Part 151—Barges Carrying Bulk Liquid Hazardous Material Cargoes.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/

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Great Lakes Commercial Fishing: Success through partnerships.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by LCDR Wm. Erik Pickering, assistant chief, U.S. Coast Guard District Nine Inspections and Investigations Branch.

Hundreds of commercial fishermen ply the waters of the Great Lakes, and many of them are members of the many tribal nations that share the waters with various states bordering the Great Lakes.

In 2001, the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority (CORA) was formed, consisting of a group of Great Lakes tribal nations: the Bay Mills Indian Community; the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians; the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians; the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians; and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians.

Coast Guard Involvement

To oversee the fisheries management and enforcement of their tribal vessels, the Coast Guard signed memorandums of agreement (MOA) with the CORA tribes for the enforcement of federal commercial fishing vessel regulations.

In addition, two other non-CORA tribes, the Red Cliff Band of the Lake Superior Chippewa Indians and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, have also signed MOAs with the Coast Guard.

These MOAs established guidelines for cooperation among CORA members and the USCG concerning the enforcement of laws relating to commercial fishing vessel safety on waters within the concurrent jurisdiction of the CORA member tribes and U.S. navigable waters.

The Coast Guard agreed to provide training to tribal law enforcement officers or other persons designated by the tribes and certify them as dockside examiners. Another unique aspect of the MOA is that when a Coast Guard boarding officer observes a violation of tribal commercial fishing vessel regulations, the case is referred to the tribal court for processing.

The Result

District Nine sectors and local units have been able to leverage these agreements to expand their ability to ensure the safety of the commercial fisherman. Their efforts seek to prevent personnel and vessel casualties through enforcement of federal regulations and outreach and education to ensure vessels are compliant with federal and tribal regulations.

PICTURED: Tribal treaty waters and locations of CORA tribes courtesy of the Chippewa Ottawa Resource Authority and used with their permission.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/

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Breaking the Chain: Using risk assessment scores to prevent fishing vessel casualties.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Jerry Dzugan, executive director, Alaska Marine Safety Education Association.

Risk Management
Vessel casualties usually occur as a result of widely varying factors that may include crew fatigue, vessel maintenance and upgrade history, and fisheries management regime, along with many other issues.

Additionally, this industry includes hundreds of different types of fisheries and vessels. Some fishing vessels may fish only in the summer in southern coastal waters or in the winter in the Bering Sea. They may be single-handed operations or have a crew of well over 100 people. Therefore a “one-size-fits-all” risk management program will not be very effective.

The Alaska Marine Safety Education Association has identified eight areas that should be examined for every fishery:

• Casualty Data. Determine in what type of fisheries the fatalities, injuries, and vessel losses are occurring. The amount of effort and resources placed in managing risk should be proportional to the risk.
• Type of Fishery. A description of a fishery should include the typical number of crewmembers, length of trips, description of gear types, and how the product is stored and processed.
• Vessel Types and Hazards. Vessel size, age, layout, and how the gear is operated can indicate risks. If the vessel participates in other fisheries and changes fishing gear, there are implications for stability and other hazards. Fisheries that use power blocks and winches will have more crushing injuries, while hook-and-line fisheries will have more cut and puncture-type injuries.
• Environmental Hazards. The geographic location of a fishery, the season of the year, the distance offshore, remoteness from rescue resources, water temperature, seasonal storm patterns, and predictability all affect risk.
• Subjective Hazards. Issues such as operator and crew experience, fatigue, over- or under-capitalization, traditions, attitude, economics, culture, crew communication, and drug and/or alcohol use all affect risk and should be examined.

Salmon seining, such as in this picture taken in Sitka Sound, SE Alaska, usually takes place in areas close to where salmon are returning to their home streams. The vessel’s seine skiff pulls the net closed. Photo by Mr. Jerry Dzugan.

Stability
Casualty reports and statistics should demonstrate which fisheries are known to have more stability issues and determine the cause of stability problems in a fishery. Gear hang-ups, icing, down flooding, improper loading, heavy weather, and other factors may be problems in some fisheries, but not in others. Vessel size and stability requirements and enforcement will also be factors in assessing risk in a fishery.

Implementation
A basic risk assessment score sheet (see sidebar) filled out at the beginning of every season or trip can remind the operator of changing risk. One of the most useful aspects of this risk score sheet is that it makes the operator think about every aspect of the operation in a systemic way. In addition, it allows the operator to decrease overall risk by making changes in controllable areas.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/.

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Mark and Kelly Klinger troll for salmon in Salisbury Sound, SE Alaska. Many salmon boats are family-run fisheries, so children learn to fish and act safely on a vessel from a very young age. Photo by Ms. Deborah Mercy.

Integrated Safety is a risk reduction program—PART 2.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Alan Dujenski, of Alan R. Dujenski & Associates, Inc.

An Ongoing Process
You must continually evaluate the safety program, work environment, and employee training needs. The steps should look something like this:

• ensure all personnel receive training on the integrated safety program,
• create an “action team” to monitor the program and implement updates and any corrective actions,
• tap an “audit board” made up of a port captain, port engineer, and operations manager to review the action team’s efforts and provide the CEO an annual review of the past year’s injuries, mishaps, accidents, items of concern, and any recommendations for improvement.

What Is Safety?
Safety is defined as the state or condition of freedom from danger, risk, or injury. A misconception held by many in the maritime industry is that installing safety equipment makes an environment safe. Safety is not equipment—rather, it is a state.

Why Safety Programs Fail
Management is not fully committed. If a safety program does not get full backing from all levels of management, it will never achieve its full potential. Insincere attitude makes its way down to the workers.

The program is not a product of all levels of management and crew. If one of the management staff members or a safety manager or outside third party writes up a safety plan and gives it to the workers, it generally does not incorporate the practical applications the workers encounter, or it is written in such great detail that it is impractical to refer to on a regular basis.

Training programs don’t address applicable risk. At times companies send their personnel to courses required by a regulatory agency without analyzing the requirement or researching the course.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/.

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Integrated Safety is a risk reduction program—PART 1.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Alan Dujenski, of Alan R. Dujenski & Associates, Inc.

The Integrated Safety Process
An effective safety program must involve all levels of management and personnel in a combined effort to identify potential problem areas and resolve them before an incident occurs.

The ABCs of Accidents
Understand the basic elements of an accident: Statistics have shown that accidents are rarely the result of a single event.

Take fires for example, three things are needed to start a fire: an ignition source, fuel, and oxygen. To put out the fire, remove one of these elements. Most other accidents also generally have multiple elements. If you remove one or more of these elements, you minimize or eliminate the possibility of that accident occurring.

Additionally, accidents usually don’t happen without some forewarning. For most major accidents, there are usually about 10 minor accidents that preceded it. Early indications and corrective action can hopefully prevent the accident.

The Integrated Safety Action Plan
An integrated safety program is developed with input from management and employees.
To be successful this program must have top management, front-line management, and employees buying into and supporting the plan. First, identify problems or hazards. After the hazards are identified, collaborators work to identify ways to eliminate or mitigate the hazard. Failing that, they create a contingency plan.

Designing the Program
Run through an exercise of hazard identification and decide what to do with the issues. Then do the same thing with front-line managers (supervisors, masters, chief engineers), then the rest of the workforce. For these initial meetings it is usually best to use an outside facilitator.

You may need to call in a consultant to ensure you meet regulatory requirements. You will have an excellent foundation for the consultant to assist you in building a final plan that is usable and designed to fit your company.

Find out why safety programs fail in Part 2.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/.

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Critical Communication: Understanding cultural factors enhances design and delivery of workplace safety training interventions.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Jeffrey L. Levin, M.D. M.S.P.H, University of Texas Health Science Center; Karen Gilmore, M.P.H. University of Texas Health Science Center;Ms. Ann Carruth, D.N.S., R.N., Southeastern Louisiana University; Ms. Amanda Wickman, University of Texas Health Science Center; Ms. Sara Shepherd, M.A.M.S., University of Texas Health Science Center; Mr. Gilbert Gallardo, U.S. Coast Guard Eighth District

Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety; Dr. Matthew Nonnenmann, C.I.H., University of Texas Health Science Center.

The Problem
The U.S. Coast Guard Eighth District, which encompasses the Gulf Coast from Texas to the panhandle of Florida, has the second-highest level of vessel losses and crew fatalities among commercial fishermen, according to U.S. Coast Guard statistics.

How Do You Fix That?
First, work to understand these fishermen. The makeup of the commercial fishing population along the United States Gulf Coast is diverse, with many Asian (primarily Vietnamese) shrimpers.

Cultural barriers can get in the way of critical communication and interfere with receptivity to necessary safety training. To successfully communicate, one must understand and embrace its cultural norms.

How Does This Work?
Recognizing these issues, the Southwest Center for Agricultural Health, Injury Prevention, and Education (SW Ag Center), in collaboration with USCG Marine Safety Unit Texas City, added a module for safety training for Vietnamese shrimp fishermen.

Instructors in the SW Ag Center effort developed typical onboard scenarios that a skilled mariner used to instruct a small group of fishermen in Vietnamese on a vessel bridge. The trainees then practiced the various skills.

Future Direction
Feedback has been highly favorable. The project has demonstrated the importance of considering cultural factors, including language, in the design and delivery of workplace safety training interventions. It has increased acceptance of the USCG as partners in safety, and recognition by individual fisherman of their responsibility to be safe at work. Ongoing meetings with multiple USCG stakeholders will focus on further program development.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/

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Pictured on Top Right: Mariners practice signaling and communication skills on the bridge of a shrimp vessel.

Pictured on Bottom Left: In an onboard training presented in Vietnamese, the shrimp fishermen listen respectfully to an experienced mariner.

The United States Marine Safety Association and Marine Safety: A history of support for marine safety.

Excerpt from U.S. Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety & Security Council magazine by Mr. Ed McCauley, president, United States Marine Safety Association;
Mr. Richard Hiscock, former member of Commercial Fishing Industry Vessel Advisory Committee; Ms. Kari Guddal, president, Guddal Enterprises LLC; and Mr. Tom Thompson, executive director, United States Marine Safety Association.

USMSA and the Immersion Suit
During World War II, the need for protection from hypothermia became apparent. Borrowing on work already begun by the British, U.S. and Canadian experts developed lightweight “exposure” suits. Production ceased, however, when the war emergency was over. Today, professional mariners are well aware of the importance of the immersion suit.

Milestones:

• In the late 1960s Gunnar G. Guddal, founder of Imperial International, a USMSA member company, invented the modern-day neoprene immersion suit with a water-tight zipper.


• In the 1970s, two major maritime accidents and an increase in recreational boating deaths due to cold water exposure focused new attention on cold water survival.

USMSA and Training
The United States Marine Safety Association has long been active in facilitating safety training for the commercial fishing industry. The regulations resulting from the Commercial Fishing Vessel Safety Act of 1988 required that drills be conducted monthly aboard fishing vessels by a trained individual.

USMSA partnered with the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium and the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association to develop the curriculum and infrastructure required for this training. This effort resulted in a comprehensive document containing guidelines, lesson plans for safety and survival training, and onboard drill scenarios.

Full article is available at http://www.uscg.mil/proceedings/winter2010-11/.

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