RELIABILITY OF DAMAGE CONTROL EQUIPMENT

The damage control organization cannot function without an adequate supply of damage control equipment. As a Damage Controlman, you will help to ensure that all damage control equipment is available and in good condition.

Frequent inspections are required in accordance with PMS guidelines. Those inspections

ensure that all damage control equipment, tools, and materials on your ship's allowance list are actually on board. Compare the ship's allowance list with an accurate and up-to-date inventory list of onboard damage control equipment.

Check to see that all damage control equipment is stowed or installed in its designated location and that it is readily accessible. Emergencies can be handled much more effectively if the equipment is available and if you do not have

to waste time looking for it.

The equipment assigned to each repair locker should be identified in such a way that each of the items can be returned to that repair locker after they have been used. A simple color code marking system can be used. All tools and equipment that belong to a certain repair locker should be marked with a striped band or a spot of that repair locker's identifying color.

Damage control equipment should NEVER be used for any purpose other than damage control. Damage control equipment is located throughout the ship, and some people are tempted to use it just because it is handy. This must NOT be allowed. All hands must realize that their lives may literally depend upon the ready availability and condition of damage control equipment in an emergency.

DAMAGE CONTROL KITS

At each repair locker a number of repair kits are made up and stowed in canvas bags. These kits are kept ready to be taken to the scene of damage. The kits should be constructed and packaged so that they will fit through the smallest watertight scuttle on your ship. These kits are commonly ailed plugging kits, pipe-patching kits, and shoring kits.

Each damage control kit should have a list of contents attached to the carrying strap. The list makes it relatively simple to inventory the contents of the kit. All damage control kits and repair locker equipment must be inventoried in accordance with PMS requirements and after each use. Any equipment or material found missing during the inventory should be replaced as soon as possible. The ship's Repair Party Manual and Surface Ship Damage Control, NWP 62-1, list the equipment that is required in the ship's repair lockers. Your ship's coordinated shipboard allowance list (COSAL) shows the amount of each item that is allowed for the ship. Extra plugging and pipe-patching kits are made up for the engineering spaces. These extra kits are inventoried and maintained by the personnel assigned to the engineering spaces. Each damage control kit should be identified by a stencil on the outside of the bag.

RIGGING GEAR

Repair lockers have various kinds of rigging gear, such as chain falls, screw or hydraulic jacks, wire hawsers, block and tackle, and manila line. This gear is useful to clear away wreckage, restore equipment to its original position, and shoring. To a limited extent, you can use rigging gear to hold equipment in position. However, do not rely upon it to do the work of shores. You can use a jack to push heavy weights back to their proper positions. You may want to use chain falls and block and tackle to pull weights back into position or to hold equipment in place while shoring. Whenever equipment is being hoisted, be sure the rigging gear is secured to a stout pad eye, beam, or strongback. If the weight is loose and free to move, check the motion with steadying lines.

PATCHING MATERIALS

A number of materials are available to plug and patch holes and to cover and secure patches.

Some of the materials commonly used for these purposes are mentioned here.

Plugging and patching materials include wooden plugs and wedges, wooden shoring, prefabricated wooden box patches in various sizes, rags, pillows, mattresses, blankets, kapok life jackets, metal plate, folding metal plate patches, flexible sheet metal patches, prefabricated steel box patches, bucket patches, and welded steel patches.

Securing materials include assorted hook bolts, manila line, wire rope, chain, machine bolts, angle clips for welding, and shoring.

Backup materials include mess tables, metal joiner doors, buckets, plywood or lumber, sheet metal, and metal plate.

Gasket materials include sheet and strip rubber, leather, canvas, rags, oakum, and paint.