Picture of the Month - June 2009 - A Blank Look and a Can- (make)-do Approach

Computer monitor on left too dim to read.

An Ecology vessel inspector discovered this barely-operating engine control room computer screen (left) aboard a 20 year-old bulk cargo ship in Seattle, Washington.

The screen’s purpose was to display alarms on various pieces of engine room machinery, but the screen’s age and condition had all but completely dimmed it. When the inspector questioned the ship’s chief engineer with regard to his ability to use the screen for its important intended purpose, his response was that he makes do with it.

Not having a clear picture of the alarm status of various engineering equipment is, to say the least, an undesirable situation. When an emergency arises and the duty engineer must obtain clear information quickly, he or she should not be spending precious time trying to discern what the computer screen reads—especially at night when crew alertness already tends to be low.

The Ecology inspector restated his concern to the chief engineer about the computer display screen and recommended its replacement in the written boarding report that he left with the ship’s captain.

Aboard the same ship, the Ecology vessel inspector discovered the novel cooling-assistance device below on the main engine control panel—a crushed aluminum can!

Engine control panel propped open by soda can.

The can was being used to prop open the main engine control panel to help keep it cool, and while it may have worked, it indicates an underlying problem with panel temperature control that should have been investigated and addressed at its root cause. A look inside the panel (below) indicated that a good cleaning of the panel’s interior to remove dust would be a good start.

Dust-covered filter under control panel.

Ecology’s August 2008 Picture of the Month showed a similar dust-induced cooling problem. The Ecology inspector recommended diagnosis and correction of the problem in the written boarding report that he left with the ship’s captain.