Manual labour: Many new ships come ill-equipped when it comes to proper maintenance instructions
Time：2015-04-10
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It had been kept going, since the vessel’s maiden voyage, by an old reefer engineer, who had been appointed to the new ship and just stayed on. A fairly anti-social person, who never went on leave, he was reckoned to be the only person on earth who could keep this recalcitrant machinery from breaking down. The ship changed hands several times, but, so the story went, the contract of sale specified explicitly that it included the services of the named reefer engineer. And when some years later this old reprobate died, the ship was scrapped almost immediately after.
This improbable yarn might be considered a perfect illustration of the essential nature of continuity, but is also a stern reminder of the importance of ships being accompanied by adequate manuals, on the grounds that the familiarity of one crew with the machinery will eventually have to give way to the unfamiliarity of another. It is then that the ship’s manuals will come into their own, as the new crew come to terms with the ship and its equipment, that they have been bequeathed.
The inadequacy of manuals that are supplied to many new ships has regrettably become something of a scandal, with people taking over a new vessel discovering that the “manuals” may well be nothing more than a hotch-potch of manufacturer’s installation diagrams and instructions, rather than any form of rational guide for operation and maintenance of the ship and her equipment.
Indeed, they may discover that this jumble of information, hastily gathered together by the newbuilding yard, may be in half a dozen languages, notably so, if the shipbuilder has sourced the vessel’s components internationally. And if this has been the subject of close attention, while the vessel is under construction, the owner may discover that if “proper” maintenance and operating manuals are required, this will be a considerable additional cost. Some owners, particularly of specialised and complex tonnage, will have highly detailed manuals written for their new ship, but this sort of work is of another order of sophistication altogether.
Another problem is sometimes reported when a vessel changes hands and this information, which may be contained on the ship’s computers, does not get transferred to the new owner. This has occasionally led to a dispute between parties and with more information than ever before stored in an electronic format, the issue is clearly acquiring a greater degree of importance in ship sales.
The International Maritime Organisation, the International Association of Classification Societies and even P&I Clubs have rules, guidance and recommendations about manuals and their importance, but sometimes, it seems, the message is not getting across, or is interpreted in an unsatisfactory fashion. The latest update of the Confidential Hazardous Incident Reporting Programme, a UK initiative but which gains considerable international coverage carries a number of suggestions about this problem, which, it has previously, noted has been responsible for a number of accidents and “near misses” (www.chirp.co.uk). Properly designed and appropriate manuals, need to be regarded as an integral part of the ship itself.