The basic factors influencing the effectiveness of engineering casualty control are much broader than the immediate actions taken at the time of the casualty. Engineering casualty control effi-ciency is obtained through a combination of sound design, careful inspection, thorough plant maintenance (including preventive maintenance), and effective personnel organization and train-ing. CASUALTY PREVENTION IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE FORM OF CASUALTY CON-TROL.

DESIGN

Design influences the effectiveness of casu-alty control in two ways: (1) the elimination of weaknesses which may lead to material failure and (2) the installation of alternate or standby equip-ment for supplying vital services in the event of a casualty to the primary equipment. Both of these factors are considered in the design of naval ships. Each individual plant aboard ship is equipped with duplicate vital auxiliaries, loop systems, and cross connections. All complete propulsion plants are designed to operate as isolated units (split-plant design).