Question 1

You are the Master/Engineer of a workboat and notice the engine room bilge alarm has activated. On investigation, the bilge pump is running continuously but the water level is not dropping. What should you consider as possible causes, and what is your priority?

Accepted Answer

Consider possible causes such as a blocked strainer, a failed non-return valve allowing water to recirculate, a pump unable to keep up with an increasing ingress rate, or a developing leak, and prioritise determining the source and rate of ingress while preparing to take further action (additional pumping, isolating the source, requesting assistance) if ingress is confirmed to be increasing A bilge pump running continuously without reducing the water level could indicate either a pumping system fault (blocked strainer, faulty valve, pump capacity issue) or a genuine and potentially worsening ingress that exceeds pump capacity, and the two scenarios require very different responses. The priority is rapid investigation to distinguish between these possibilities — checking the rate of level change, inspecting accessible areas for the source, and not assuming a benign explanation — since flooding incidents on small vessels can progress from manageable to critical in a short time if the source is not identified and addressed promptly.

Question 2

You're draining a thermal oil system that was running normally a short time ago. Before opening the drain point, what should you confirm?

Accepted Answer

That the system has cooled and depressurised, and you are positioned clear of the drain point's discharge path On the dredger MV Amazone, two crew members draining a thermal oil system after months of contamination were sprayed with hot oil, suffering severe burns. The investigation found company procedures lacked clear instructions for safe drainage — confirming the system has cooled and depressurised, and standing clear of the discharge path, are essential before opening any drain point on a hot oil system.

Question 3

A thermal oil system has been contaminated and needs draining for cleaning. The written procedure tells you to open the drain valve but doesn't specify a cooling-down period or PPE. What should you do?

Accepted Answer

Treat the gap as a hazard in its own right: apply a suitable cooling/depressurising period and full PPE before proceeding, and raise the procedure gap with the Chief Engineer The FEBIMA investigation into the MV Amazone incident found that although the crew followed company procedures, those procedures lacked clear instructions for safely draining a thermal oil system. A procedure that's silent on cooling time and PPE for a hazardous task is a gap to be closed before the job starts — not a green light to skip those precautions.