ALERT — ISSUE 27 — ENGINEERS AND HE

This issue of the Alert bulletin is fully devoted to the role engineers play in addressing such important aspect of work as the human element. To ensure the safe conduct of the vessel and that the cargo is delivered safely and timely, we shall pay equally close attention to the navigation and technical operation of the vessel. The shipboard machinery and hull systems make the vessel work and the engineers working both on board and ashore ensure that they operate in the efficient and effective ,ay acceptable to the crew.

In the past the vessels were much less complex and, should something require fixing, the engineers on board managed to solve the problem locally, using their own knowledge and experience, and referring to the relevant handbooks and drawings. In case of necessity the technical superintendents stationed in the head office would be contacted for advice, but that was mainly done for reassurance. Nowadays, the technology is at the highest level and it eventually results in the skills, technical knowledge and experience of the engineers not being in pace with the latest technological advances.

As it come clear when analyzing numerous safety investigation reports, in many cases the reasons of the equipment breakdown was the failure of the engineers to properly diagnose the problem, mainly because of the poor training provided on particular system or due to the lack of available manufacturer's handbooks and manuals...