Safety, Pollution Prevention and Emergency Procedures
What the exam tests
This domain tests fire prevention, fuel and oil handling, pollution control, emergency response and personal safety in the engine room. Hong Kong local vessels must comply with local pollution and safety requirements; the sea is not a disposal point.
Core rules
- Fire needs heat, fuel and oxygen. For an engine-room fire: raise the alarm, stop the engine, shut off fuel and air, isolate electrical supplies, use the fixed system if fitted, cool boundaries, evacuate and account for everyone. Do not open the engine casing after a fixed CO2 discharge until it is safe.
- Fuel handling: no smoking, use drip trays, bond during bunkering, close scuppers, keep spill kits ready and watch tank vents.
- Pollution: oily bilge must go through the oily-water separator where fitted and permitted; never discharge oil or oily mixtures. Segregate garbage and land it ashore. Report spills to the Marine Department or Vessel Traffic Centre.
- Emergencies: for flooding, find and isolate the source, use bilge pumps and close sea suctions; for man overboard, keep visual contact, throw a lifebuoy and manoeuvre carefully; for abandon ship, wear lifejackets and follow the distress procedure.
- Personal safety: guards, PPE, lockout, hot surfaces and carbon-monoxide risk.
Worked example
A diesel return line leaks onto a hot exhaust and smoke appears. Reasoning: stop the fuel transfer and engine, close the fuel valve and isolate electrical power. Do not use water, which spreads burning fuel. Use dry powder or CO2, cool the boundary, ventilate only after the fire is out, report the incident and repair the line before restarting.
Traps
- Using water on a fuel fire.
- Pumping bilge overboard to save time.
- Blocking vents or scuppers during fuel transfer.
- Restarting after a fire without checking the fuel system and insulation.
- Assuming a fixed CO2 system makes the engine room safe for people; evacuate and account for all persons.