As a continuation of my previous post with regard to the class survey  which can be found on this link, today we will explain about Annual Surveys – Machinery Requirements.

Annual Surveys are supposed to take place at the same time as statutory annual surveys or other relevant statutory surveys whenever it is possible to do so. During the Annual Surveys, the surveyor is responsible for conducting an inspection of the ship and its machinery, to the extent that this is required and possible, in order to reach a conclusion regarding the general condition of both.

The annual survey must include:

• • An examination for the purpose of ensuring, as far as practicable, that the hull, hatch covers, hatch coamings, closing appliances, equipment and related piping are maintained in a satisfactory condition.
  • Examination of weather decks, ship side plating above the waterline, hatch cover and coamings.
  • Examination of watertight penetrations as far as practicable.
  • Examination of the weld connection between air pipes, ventilators and deck plating.
  • External examination of all air pipe heads installed on exposed decks.
  • Examination of flame screens on air pipes to all bunker tanks.
  • Examination of ventilators including closing devices, if any.
  • The surveyor is to be satisfied regarding the efficient condition of:
    • exposed casings, skylights, flush deck scuttles, deckhouses and companionways, superstructure bulkheads, side, bow and stern doors, side scuttles and deadlights, chutes and other openings, together with all closing appliances.
    • scuppers and sanitary discharges (so far as practicable); valves on discharge lines (so far as practicable) and their controls; guard rails and bulwarks; freeing ports, gangways and life-lines; fittings and appliances for timber deck cargoes.
    • bilge level detection and alarm systems on ships assigned a UMS notation.

The surveyor is to confirm that, where required, an approved loading instrument together with its operation manual are available on board and is to be satisfied regarding the freeboard marks on the ship’s side.

The anchoring and mooring equipment is to be examined and the watertight doors in watertight bulkheads, their indicators and alarms, are to be examined and tested (locally and remotely), together with an examination of watertight bulkhead penetrations, so far as practicable.

The surveyor is to examine and test in operation all main and auxiliary steering arrangements including their associated equipment and control systems, and verify that log book entries have been made in accordance with statutory requirements where applicable.

The surveyor is to generally inspect the machinery and boiler spaces, with particular attention being given to the propulsion system, auxiliary machinery and to the existence of any fire and explosion hazards. Emergency escape routes are to be checked to ensure that they are free of obstruction.
The means of communication between the navigating bridge and the machinery control positions, as well as the bridge and the alternative steering position, if fitted, are to be tested.
The bilge pumping systems for each watertight compartment, including bilge wells, extended spindles, self-closing drain cocks, valves fitted with rod gearing or other remote operation, pumps and level alarms, where fitted, are to be examined and operated as far as practicable and all confirmed to be satisfactory. Any hand pumps provided are to be included.

Piping systems containing fuel oil, lubricating oil or other flammable liquids are to be generally examined and operated as far as practicable, with particular attention being paid to tightness, fire precaution arrangements, flexible hoses and sounding arrangements. The surveyor is to be satisfied regarding the condition of non-metallic joints in piping systems which penetrate the hull, where both the penetration and the non-metallic joint are below the deepest load waterline.

The main propulsion, essential auxiliary and emergency generators including safety arrangements, controls and foundations are to be generally examined. Surveyors are to confirm that Periodical Surveys of engines have been carried out as required by the Rules and that safety devices have been tested.
The boilers, other pressure vessels and their appurtenances, including foundations, controls, high pressure and waste steam piping and insulation and gauges, are to be generally examined. Surveyors should confirm that Periodical Surveys of boilers and other pressure vessels have been carried out as required by the Rules.
For boilers, the safety devices are to be tested, and the safety valves are to be operated using the relieving devices. For exhaust gas heated economisers/boilers, the safety valves are to be tested at sea by the Chief Engineer and details recorded in the log book.
The operation and maintenance records, repair history and feed water chemistry records of boilers are to be examined.
For other pressure vessels, the safety devices are to be examined.
The electrical equipment and cabling forming the main and emergency electrical installations are to be generally examined under operating conditions so far as practicable. The satisfactory operation of the main and emergency sources of power and electrical services essential for safety in an emergency is to be verified; where the sources of power are automatically controlled they should be tested in the automatic mode. Bonding straps for the control of static electricity and earthing arrangements are to be examined where fitted.
The electrical installation in areas which may contain flammable gas or vapour and/or combustible dust is to be examined in order to verify that it is in good condition and has been properly maintained.

For main propulsion, essential auxiliary and emergency machinery control engineering systems, a general examination of the equipment and arrangements is to be carried out. Records of modifications are to be made available for review by the attending Surveyor. The documentation required Control Engineering Systems, including configuration management, are to be reviewed following system modifications to confirm compliance with applicable Rules. Satisfactory operation of the safety devices and control systems is to be verified. For ships having UMS notation, a general examination of the control engineering equipment required for these notations is also to be carried out.

For ships fitted with an electronically controlled engine for main propulsion, essential auxiliary or emergency power purposes the following is to be carried out to the satisfaction of the surveyor:

• • Verification of evidence of satisfactory operation of the engine and where possible this is to include a running test under load.
  • Verification of satisfactory operation of the safety devices and control, alarm and monitoring systems.
  • Verification that any changes to the software or control, alarm, monitoring and safety systems that affect the operation of the engine have been assessed by Class and are under configuration management control.

Dead ship starting arrangements for bringing machinery into operation without external aid are to be tested to the Surveyor’s satisfaction.

On ships fitted with a dynamic positioning system, the control system and associated machinery items are to be generally examined and tested to demonstrate that they are in good working order. For ships classed with DP (AA) or DP (AAA) notations surveyors are to review records of the annual testing to confirm the ship’s ability to keep position after single failures of any component or system and, in addition, surveyors are to witness testing conducted alongside as far as is practicable.

For ships to which a PM or PMC notation has been assigned, the thruster assisted positional mooring system, control system and associated machinery items are to be generally examined and tested under operating conditions to an approved Test Schedule.

For ships fitted with positional mooring equipment in accordance with  Positional Mooring and Thruster-Assisted Positional Mooring Systems, a schedule or rota of moorings to be examined at Annual Survey should be agreed for component parts of the positional moorings.

For ships having an On-Shore Power Supply notation assigned, a General Examination of on-shore power supply arrangements is to be carried out.

For ships to which Fire Protection, Detection and Extinction Requirements applies, the arrangements for fire protection, detection and extinction are to be examined and are to include:

• • Verification, so far as practicable, that no significant changes have been made to the arrangement of structural fire protection.
  • Verification of the operation of manual and/or automatic doors where fitted.
  • Verification that fire-control plans are properly posted.
  • Examination, so far as possible, and testing as feasible, of the fire and/or smoke detection and alarm system(s).
  • Examination of fire main system, and confirmation that each fire pump, including the emergency fire pump can be operated separately so that the two required powerful jets of water can be produced simultaneously from different hydrants.
  • Verification that fire-hoses, nozzles, applicators and spanners are in good working condition and situated at their respective locations.
  • Examination of fixed fire-fighting systems controls, piping, instructions and marking, checking for evidence of proper maintenance and servicing, including date of last systems tests.
  • Verification that all portable and semi-portable fire-extinguishers are in their stowed positions, checking for evidence of proper maintenance and servicing, conducting random checks for evidence of discharged containers.
  • Verification, so far as practicable, that the remote control for stopping fans and machinery and shutting-off fuel supplies in machinery spaces and, where fitted, the remote controls for stopping fans in accommodation spaces and the means of cutting off power to the gallery are in good working order.
  • Examination of the closing arrangements of ventilators, funnel annular spaces, skylights, doorways and tunnels, where applicable.
  • Verification that the firemen’s outfits are complete and in good condition.

The examination of salt-water ballast tanks is to be carried out as follows:

Salt-water ballast tanks, other than double bottom ballast tanks, on all ships (excluding oil tankers and chemical tankers) where it has been identified at a previous Special Survey or Intermediate Survey that:

• • A hard protective coating has not been applied from the time of construction; or
  • A soft or semi-hard coating has been applied; or
  • A hard protective coating is found to be in POOR condition, as defined in 1.5, and the hard protective coating is not repaired to the satisfaction of the Surveyor.

If the conditions listed above are applicable to double bottom ballast tanks, then these tanks may be subject to examination at the Annual Survey at the discretion of the surveyor. The examination of the salt-water ballast tanks, in accordance with the above, is to include thickness measurements to confirm the condition of the hull structure.

The surveyor is to carry out an examination and thickness measurement of structure identified at the previous Special Survey or Intermediate Survey as having substantial corrosion. The survey will not be considered complete until these additional thickness measurements have been carried out. For cargo holds and ballast tanks of bulk carriers built in accordance with the IACS Common Structural Rules (CSR), the annual thickness measurement may be dispensed with where a protective coating has been applied in accordance with the coating manufacturer’s requirements and is maintained in good condition.

When a Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) is placed on a vessel, a general inspection needs to be performed in order to verify that the BWTS is being kept in proper working condition and is being maintained properly. This is to include the inspection and testing of safety and protective equipment, as well as the fixed fire detection and alarm system(s), gas detection and alarm system(s), and associated BWTS emergency shutdown devices, as applicable. Examining the ventilation arrangements of the room in which the Ballast Water Treatment System (BWTS) is installed under working conditions should be done to the greatest extent that is practically possible. The operational and maintenance records are to be made available to the attending surveyor at the time of the Annual Survey in order to ensure the BWTS and associated safety devices/systems are operating satisfactorily.

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Source and Bibliography:

• Lloyd Register
• DNV
• American Bureau of Shipping