8.1 Appropriate electrical and mechanical knowledge and skills, safety and emergency procedures. Safe Isolation of equipment and systems

Steps to Minimize the Risk of an Electrical Shock Onboard

1. Start with the first round of the day; check all electrical motors, wiring, and switches, for abnormal sounds, variation in temperatures, and loose connections.
2. Ensure that all electrical connections are inside the panel box so that no one can touch them accidentally.
3. In the accommodation area multiple socket plugs shouldn’t be used.
4. Turn off the breaker before starting any work on an electrical system.
5. Use ply card and notice board as much as possible to inform others about the ongoing work to avoid accidental starts.
6. Double check the electrical tools like portable drills for any loose wires before attempting any job.
7. Always wear protective clothing, rubber gloves, rubber knee pads and safety shoes to avoid the risk of shock.
8. Use electrically insulated handle tools for working or checking the electrical system.
9. Before working, remove the jewellery wristband and other conductive items.
10. When working or removing multiple wires, tape off all but the one wire you are working on.
11. Try as much as possible not to work on a live system and even if you do so by a professional and work carefully with full concentration.
12. During working in a group or pair, organize a toolbox meeting and discuss the procedure, risk and hazards of the job at hand.
13. If you don’t know about the system, ask for assistance. Don’t work without knowing it.
14. Always think about your own safety and the safety of fellow persons while carrying out any electrical work.

Basic Precautions

Before attempting any electrical work there are some basic safety precautions you must bear in mind. The possible dangers arising from the misuse of electrical equipment are considering as electric shock and fire cause the loss of life and damage to equipment.

1. Regulations exist to control the construction, installation, operation and maintenance of electrical equipment in order to reduce the element of danger as much as possible.
2. Where danger arises it is usually due to accident neglect off another contravention of the regulations.
3. Electrical equipment and services on board ships must meet the minimum standards specified by the various national and international organizations. The standards specified by the various organizations are met when a ship is designed, built, approved and classified.
4. It is the shipowner and its staff’s responsibility to maintain the vessel and its electrical equipment in compliance with the requirements of the classification society throughout the ship’s lifetime.
5. The periodic electrical survey every four years is for checking that the installations meet the requirements of the classification society.
6. The ship’s staff must operate equipment in a safe manner and maintain it in a safe condition at all times. Failure to do so is dangerous and could have disastrous consequences. The ship staff should keep in mind an essential list of do’s and don’ts when working on electrical equipment.

DO’S

• Do get to know the ship’s electrical system and equipment. Study the ship’s diagrams to pinpoint the location of switches and protection devices supplying distribution boards and essential items of equipment. Right down this information in a notebook. Note the normal indication from switchboards instruments so that abnormal operation can we quickly detected.
• Do operate the equipment according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Do maintain equipment according to the manufacturer’s recommendations or the ship owners maintenance procedures.
• Do check that circuits are dead by using a voltage tester before touching conductors and terminals.
• Do switch off and lock off supplies remove fuses and display warning notices before removing equipment covers prior to maintenance.
• Do ensure that all guards covers and doors are securely fitted and that all bolts and fittings are fitted and tightly secured.

DON’TS

• Don’t neglect or abuse equipment
• Don’t leave conductors or rotating parts exposed.
• Don’t touch rotating parts.
• Don’t touch live conductors under any circumstances

Electric Shock

1. Nearly everyone has experienced an electric shock at some time. At best it is an unpleasant experience at worst it is fatal. Anyone who has access to live electrical equipment must be fully familiar with first aid and safety procedures related to electric shock as described in the relevant safety act. Copies of these safety procedures are must displaying thing onboard ship.
2. Electric shock is causing by the flow of current through your body this is often from hand to hand or from hand to foot. A shock current as low as 15 milliamp AC or DC may be fatal. Obviously, the size of the shock current is related to the applied voltage and your body’s resistance.
3. Unfortunately, your body’s resistance goes down as applied voltage goes up this means that the shock current is further increased at high voltages.The amount of your body resistance also depends on other factors such as your state of health the degree of contact with live wires and the amount of perspiration or dampness on your skin.
4. Typical dry full contact body resistance is about 5,000 ohms at 25 votes fall into 2000 ohms at 250 volts.
5. Electric shock is often accompanied by falling which may cause additional physical injury and require first-aid action. If the shock victim is unconscious resuscitation must take place first before doing anything else. Check the resuscitation techniques illustrators on the electric shock posters displayed ship.

General Electrical Maintenance

1. All equipment is subject to wear and tear eventually reaching the end of its useful life when it must be replaced. As equipment nears the end of its life its condition determines to what an extent it poses a danger to personnel and other power plants.
2. The purpose of maintenance, therefore, is to extend the useful life of equipment by air and or replacement of defective parts and to maintain it in a safe and serviceable condition.
3. The marine environment is particularly arduous full elective equipment to the damp, salt Laden atmosphere, extremes of temperature and constant vibration. Shipboard equipment is in particular need of correct maintenance. The continuous operation of equipment onboard a ship demands high operating efficiency and optimum economy in order to keep down costs to maintain financial competitiveness.
4. Nearly all equipment needs maintenance. An efficiency engineer or electrician must get to know his plant. He must be able to check the ship’s drawings and diagrams and relate them to actual equipment.
5. Equipment must be kept under continuous observation so that normal healthy operating conditions become familiar and abnormal operation can be quickly observed. Faults should be pinpointed and corrected before breakdown occurs. 
   • Caution 1: If it is necessary to work on live equipment and the operator must be fully protected only rubber gloves that are specially made for this purpose should be used.
   • Caution 2: Always ensure that the generator prime mover is shut down and locked off before you begin your maintenance also check that the generator circuit breaker is locked off. Auto start circuits are disabled and generate electric heaters are isolated. 
   • Caution 3: Generator circuit breakers must be switched off and isolated from the best spas for maintenance and testing.
6. Maintenance of the generator is normally limiting to inspection and lubrication of bearings according to the manufacturer’s recommendation.
7. Clean the generators in case of dirt in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation.It is recommended that you check the generators-controlled equipment and compare them to the test protocols delivered from the manufacturer.
8. Limited maintenance is generally all that is necessary on the main switchboard however specified maintenance on the different manufacturers should be carried out. Generally, the maintenance on the main switchboard consists of cleaning lubrication of mechanical devices and checking contacts.
9. Note that unnecessary tightening of contacts and terminals are not recommending this may cause deformations and in turn break or weaken contacts.
10. Some circuit breakers are having pneumatic delay relays which tend to change the delay time due to dirt these must be cleaned and checked eventually and readjusted.
11. Inspection of the instrument’s accuracy may be carrying out according to maintenance schedule.
12. Inspect the generator circuit breakers in accordance of manufacturer’s recommendations.