Standards for handling Controllable Pitch Propeller failures

Abstract

The maritime industry follows strict regulations which stipulate standards on ships and their crew, but preparedness in handling system failures stands out in its absence from said legislations. One of the more serious system failures is a Controllable Pitch Propeller failure, which renders the ship unable to steer and/or to effectively regulate her speed. While researching international regulations it is even discovered that audible alarms for this fault are not a requirement by what is accepted as the most important maritime regulation for safety, the Safety of the Life at Sea convention. When investigating several accident reports, it appears that the bridge teams are not adequately trained to properly handle a situation where a CPP is failing. This lack of training results in severe damages and injuries. To establish how current training legislations prepare Officers of the Watch to handle such failures, this study examined a group of maritime students’ performances during a simulated CPP-failure scenario. The students were then questioned about their thoughts of their performances. They appear to understand the failure, but lack the training to rectify the situation under the pressure. It appears that current maritime regulations contain an oversight within this area. This can cause easily fixable problems to escalate into a disaster.