Locating faults in marine mechanical equipment

This standard identifies the competences you need to locate faults in marine mechanical equipment, in accordance with approved procedures. You will be required to investigate faults on a range of marine mechanical equipment, such as gearboxes, stabilisers, pumps, propeller shafts (including controllable pitch propeller (CPP) systems), steering and rudder arrangements, aircraft lifts, ballast arrangements, engines, weapons equipment, sewage treatment, reverse osmosis and low pressure steam plant, pantry and galley equipment, and other specific marine mechanical equipment. You will be expected to use a variety of fault location methods and procedures, such as gathering information from the person who reported the fault, using recognised fault location techniques, and utilising a number of diagnostic aids and devices.

Your responsibilities will require you to comply with organisational policy and procedures for the fault location activities undertaken and to report any problems with these activities, or with the tools and equipment used, that you cannot personally resolve, or that are outside your permitted authority, to the relevant people. You will be expected to work with either a high level of supervision, or as a member of a team. You will take personal responsibility for your own actions and for the quality and accuracy of the work that you carry out. When working in a team, you must demonstrate a significant personal contribution to the team activities in order to satisfy the requirements of the standard and competence in all the areas required by the standard must be demonstrated.

Your underpinning knowledge will be sufficient to provide a sound understanding of your work and will demonstrate an informed approach to applying fault location procedures to marine mechanical equipment. You will have an understanding of the basic fault location methods and techniques used and their application. You will also know how to interpret the information obtained from fault-finding aids and devices, in sufficient depth to provide a sound basis for carrying out the activities.

You will understand the safety precautions required when carrying out the fault location activities, especially those for isolating the equipment. You will also understand your responsibilities for safety and the importance of taking the necessary safeguards to protect yourself and others, both ashore and afloat.

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1. work safely at all times, complying with health and safety and other relevant regulations, directives and guidelines
2. review and use all relevant information on the symptoms and problems associated with the equipment
3. investigate and establish the most likely causes of the faults
4. select, use and apply diagnostic techniques, tools and aids to locate faults
5. complete the fault diagnosis within the agreed time and inform the appropriate people when this cannot be achieved
6. determine the implications of the fault for other work and for safety considerations
7. use the evidence gained to draw valid conclusions about the nature and probable cause of the fault
8. record details on the extent and location of the faults in an appropriate format

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1. the health and safety requirements of the area in which you are carrying out the fault location activities and the responsibility these requirements place on you
2. the particular safety precautions to be taken when carrying out fault location on a specific piece of equipment
3. the isolation and lock-off procedure, or permit-to-work procedure that applies to the equipment or work area
4. the importance of wearing protective clothing and other appropriate safety equipment (PPE) during the fault location activities
5. hazards associated with carrying out fault location activities on marine mechanical equipment (such as moving machinery, handling oils and greases, stored pressure/force, misuse of tools, using practices or processes that do not follow laid-down procedures) and how they can be minimised
6. how to recognise and deal with emergencies and the procedures to be followed (such as methods of safely evacuating and closing down compartments in the case of fire or other major incident)
7. how to obtain and interpret information from job instructions, drawings, specifications, manufacturers' manuals, history/maintenance reports and other documents needed in the fault finding process
8. the procedure to be adopted to establish the background of the fault
9. the various fault location techniques that can be used and how they are applied (such as six point, half-split, function testing, unit substitution and equipment self-diagnostics)
10. how to use the various diagnostic aids to help identify the location of the fault
11. how to use a range of fault finding equipment to investigate the problem (such as measuring devices, torque and run-out devices)
12. how to use various items of test equipment and how to check that they are free from damage and defects
13. why tool/equipment control is critical and what to do if a tool or piece of equipment is unaccounted for on completion of the activities
14. how to assess sensory information (sight, sound, smell, touch)
15. the procedure(s) to be followed for investigating the faults and how to deal with intermittent faults
16. how assess possible characteristics and causes of specific faults/problems
17. how to relate previous reports/records of similar fault conditions
18. how to determine the likely risk of running the equipment with the displayed fault and the effects the fault could have on health and safety, and on the overall process or system
19. how to complete documentation which satisfies the company policy on conclusion of the fault location activity
20. the problems that can occur when carrying out fault location activities, and what to do if they occur 
21. the extent of your own authority and whom you should report to if you
22. have problems that you cannot resolve

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1. Carry out all of the following during the fault location activity:

   1. plan the fault location methods and procedures, in conjunction with others, prior to commencement
   2. use the correct issue of drawings and maintenance documentation
   3. adhere to risk assessment, COSHH and other relevant safety standards
   4. under supervision, ensure the safe isolation of equipment (such as mechanical, electricity, gas, air or fluids)
   5. ensure that any stored energy or substances are released safely and correctly
   6. under supervision, provide safe access and working arrangements for the maintenance area
   7. in conjunction with others, carry out the fault location activities, using approved procedures
   8. identify and confirm the fault and consider appropriate corrective action
   9. in conjunction with others, take actions to resolve the problem
   10. leave the work area in a safe condition and to the prescribed category of cleanliness

2. Carry out fault location on two of the following types of equipment:

   1. propulsion gear box (single reduction, double reduction, V' orZ' drive)
   2. pump jet propulsion unit
   3. stabiliser (fixed or retractable)
   4. pump (salt water, fresh water, fuel oil or lubricating)
   5. propeller shaft (fixed blade or controllable pitch propeller (CPP) systems)
   6. steering gear and rudder arrangements (hydraulic or mechanical)
   7. thrusters (bow or stern)
   8. clutch and coupling (gas turbine, steam turbine, diesel or steam reciprocating engine)
   9. processing plant (sewage treatment, reverse osmosis, distillation or garbage compactor)
   10. liquid ballast arrangements (pump or isolating valve)
   11. engine (propulsion or power generation)
   12. compressor (high pressure or low pressure) 
   13. pantry and galley equipment (boiling copper, oven, dish washer or garbage disposal unit)
   14. low pressure steam plant (auxiliary boiler, calorifier, fuel or oil heater)
   15. weapons equipment (gun mounting, missile mounting or weapon loading system)
   16. lifting and handling equipment (replenishment rig, aircraft lift, cargo hatch, windlass or capstan)
   17. other specific marine equipment

3. Collect evidence regarding the fault, from four of the following sources:

   1. information gathered from the person who reported the fault
   2. fault location techniques (such as six point, half-split, input/output, unit substitution, emergent sequence, performance monitoring)
   3. diagnostic aids (such as manuals, descriptions/drawings, flow charts/algorithms, troubleshooting guides, maintenance records/historic data)
   4. visual examination (such as checking for breakages, wear/deterioration, overheating, missing parts, loose fittings)
   5. function testing (such as manually switching off' andon', running equipment, condition of end product)
   6. sensory input (such as sight, sound, smell, touch)
   7. monitoring equipment (such as use of monitoring equipment/gauges, lights and alarms)

4. Apply two of the following monitoring or testing procedures to help in the fault location:

   1. alignment checks (such as shafts and bearings)
   2. force/pressure checks (such as spring pressure, hydraulic or pneumatic pressures)
   3. leakage checks (such as pipes, valves, glands)
   4. sound/vibration (such as shafts, bearings)
   5. thermal checks (such as bearings, friction surfaces)
   6. movement checks (such as travel, clearance, levers, links)

5. Use two of the following types of test equipment to aid fault location:

   1. measuring instruments/devices      
   2. self-diagnostic equipment
   3. dial test indicators                            
   4. sonic leak detectors
   5. torque measuring devices                
   6. soap and water
   7. thermal imaging equipment               
   8. vibration monitoring equipment
   9. other specific test equipment

6. Locate faults that have resulted in two of the following breakdown categories:

   1. intermittent problem
   2. partial failure/out-of-specification output
   3. complete breakdowns

7. Provide a record of the outcomes of fault location, using one of the following:

   1. outcome report
   2. corrective action report
   3. company-specific documentation
   4. equipment or system log
   5. other specific recording method

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You will be able to apply the appropriate behaviours required in the workplace to meet the job profile and overall company objectives, such as:

• strong work ethic
• positive attitude
• team player
• dependability
• responsibility
• honesty
• integrity
• motivation
• commitment

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2

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2021

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Current

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Original

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Semta

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SEMME2032

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Engineering, Engineering and Manufacturing Technologies

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5235

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Engineering; marine; mechanical; equipment; locate; faults; gearbox; stabilisers; pumps; propeller shaft; steering

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