Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

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D Winsor
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Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

Post by D Winsor »

The investigation into a tanker grounding in the Seaway was caused by a Telephone Cord activating Emergency Shutdown of Main Engine
Excellent excuse for Big Red Button with a cover especially in the Wheelhouse.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ts ... -1.4654968
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Revolver
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Re: Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

Post by Revolver »

It didn't say emergency shut down, just shut down.

And the alarm message was: slowdown alarm

This whole thing feels inadequate on many levels lol
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JK
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Re: Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

Post by JK »

4 hour course to learn the system.
When will companies understand that their senior staff may not be as computer/automation system comfortable as the younger generation? As usual management skates away with a brief nod towards lack of training from TSB.
This should have been found during the sea trials or during the build. It leads to questions on how a not quite compliant control system is installed on a Class ship.

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http://www.tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-repor ... 7c0108.asp
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D Winsor
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Re: Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

Post by D Winsor »

JK wrote:4 hour course to learn the system.
When will companies understand that their senior staff may not be as computer/automation system comfortable as the younger generation? As usual management skates away with a brief nod towards lack of training from TSB.
This should have been found during the sea trials or during the build. It leads to questions on how a not quite compliant control system is installed on a Class ship.
I agree JK. In many cases you are lucky to get any kind of equipment training course. Over my career I can count the number of training courses on new equipment, including control systems, I've taken on one hand and I wouldn't need all my digits to do it. In many cases I was just handed the instruction manuals, that are perfect cure for insomnia and told to "Read" them. If a course is offered, in many cases it is taught by an instructor, usually a system supplier technician with months of classroom time learning the system and its components or some other sort of "Talking Head", who looses the majority of the people including the tech savie ones, being taught 30 seconds after he/she said Good Morning. Once done the instructor walks away collects his/her fee and then everyone including the Company, & System Supplier/Console Designer, who allowed such a sensitive touch screen to be placed in such a vulnerable position in the first place, can say to Class and T/C that they did their "Due Diligence" by providing the necessary instruction, making the Operators "Fully Trained" in the operation of the system.

I would also hate to see what would happen if the Captain, Pilot or other bridge crew happened to, spill tea or coffee on the console, or in the dark lay something on or brush the touch screen reaching to answer the telephone or VHF Radio

Does anyone have a Plexiglas Cover slightly larger than the touch screen and couple of brass hinges?
Troubleshooting 101 "Don't over think it - K.I.S.S. it"
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Re: Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

Post by Big Pete »

I feel old reading this, didn't there used to be something in the Rgs Requiring a definite positive action to activate Emergency stops?
If a phone cord brushing over it activates it, what about a fly landing on the screen?
Just because you can put a hundred different functions on one touch screen at a fraction of the cost of having mechanical switches it doesn't always mean that it is better.
BP
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Merlyn
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Re: Telephone Cord Stops Main Engine

Post by Merlyn »

My take on this draws comparisons to way back on my entry to the trade, new stiff overhauls on, new shiny six inch rule in the top pocket, leaning over the side to look at something alongside and out slides the rule straight into the briny and never to be seen again.
Did this twice before learning my lesson.
The modern day take on this?
I envisage someone ( a smoker ) leaning over to look at the small screen, out of his top pocket goes the Woodbine packet and guess what?
All stop.
Ship runs into another one / pier/ aground and this reminds me of what dear old Mum used to tell me how smoking was bad for you.
She never envisaged a all stop situation down below though.
Maybe the touch screen ought to be operated on a double tap application if indeed this was the source of the total shutdown.
Or revert back to a long series Bowden cable running to the stop control on the pump.
Remembering The Good Old days, when Chiefs stood watches and all Torque settings were F.T.
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