HANDS CALL Hands Call Edition 1 | Page 7

  Any electrical equipment on board must be installed, maintained, tested and repaired in accordance with existing regulations and only by qualified personnel.  Electrical wires that have bad insulation should be renewed.  Fuses and circuit breakers installed will be of proper size for their respective circuits.  Jury-rigging of an electrical outlet (to connect more than one appliance on one outlet) should be avoided.  Prior leaving cabin for work, crewmember must switch off every light bulb in the cabin.  Overloading is dangerous. Only one appliance must be connected to each outlet in an electric circuit.  Vapour tight electrical fixtures cause the insulation to dry out and crack more rapidly than standard fixtures and should be examined carefully.  Electrical motors should be regularly inspected, tested, lubricated and cleaned.  While storage batteries are being charged, they emit hydrogen, which is lighter than air and a highly flammable gas, a battery room thus should have ventilation at the highest point. Smoking and any other source of ignition is strictly prohibited in a battery room.  When air driven lamps are to be used in non-gas free atmosphere, to avoid static electricity accumulation, following precautions must be observed.  Air supply should have a water trap incorporated.  The supply hose must be of a low electrical resistance.  Torches and Portable battery powered equipment.  Flashlights approved by a competent authority for use in flammable atmospheres must be used on board a tanker.  Only intrinsically safe type UHF/VHF portable walkie-talkie must be used.  Battery powered personal items like wristwatch, hearing aid and heart pacemakers are not considered as significant ignition sources. Ship staff must be warned against replacement / renewal of torch cells / batteries outside ship’s accommodation.