When a ship stops operating its own plant and is receiving services from shore or other ships, the ship is considered to be in a cold iron status. A security and fire watch is usually set by each department. This watch is called the cold-iron watch.

Each cold-iron watch makes frequent inspections of the assigned area and looks for fire hazards, flooding, or other unusual conditions throughout the area. The watch sees that no unauthorized persons are in the watch area; that all spaces are cleaned; and that no tools, rags, gear, and the like are left adrift. The watch also keeps the bilges reasonably free of water. (NOTE: You must get permission to pump water from the duty engineer officer and the OOD.)

The watch makes hourly reports to the OOD or the DCC watch on all existing conditions. Any unusual conditions are reported to the OOD or DCC immediately. They can notify the department responsible to take the necessary corrective measures.

When hot work is done in the watch area, the cold-iron watch ensures that a fire watch is stationed. The fire watch stands by with a C02 extinguisher. If a fire watch has not been stationed, the cold-iron watch stops all work until a fire watch can be stationed. The cold-iron watch then carries out all pertinent orders.

If the ship is in dry dock, the cold-iron watch will check all sea valves after working hours. This is to ensure that the valves are secure or blanked off. The cold-iron watch also ensures that no oil is pumped into the dry docks at any time. The watch will not allow any weights, such as fuel oil or feedwater, to be shifted without permission of the engineer officer or DCA.

BURNERMAN

The burnerman is responsible for cutting burners "in" and "out" as directed by the boiler technician of the watch (BTOW). The burnerman must keep a close check for dirty atomizers and change them when authorized by the BTOW. The burnerman must always be assisted by another watch stander when lighting fires or cutting in additional burners. This procedure will ensure that fires are safely lit and are burning properly, that no fuel leaks, and that fires can be quickly secured if a casualty occurs.

CHECKMAN[UPPER-LEVEL WATCH

On ships that do not have automatic feedwater controls, the checkman is responsible for operating the feed check valve and maintaining the proper water level in the steam drum. This is the checkman's only responsibility. On ships that have automatic feedwater controls, a checkman is not needed unless the control is shifted from automatic to manual. The responsibilities of the upper-level watch include (1) the operation of the forced draft blowers, deaerating feed tank, and all boiler-related equipment on the upper level; (2) surface blowing; (3) starting and stopping machinery; (4) opening and closing valves; (5) monitoring gauges; and (6) aligning systems.

FIREROOM LOWER-LEVEL

The fireroom watch is responsible for starting, stopping, and maintaining proper levels and pressures on all boiler-related equipment on the lower level. This equipment will normally include the main feed booster pumps and the fuel oil service pumps. The fireroom watch may also assist the burnerman in lighting fires in the boiler. This watch may also assist in shifting suction tanks on fuel oil, fresh water, feedwater, and shifting cooling water strainers and fuel oil strainers.

THROTTLE WATCH

The tasks of a throttleman at the main engines are critical. Orders from the bridge concerning the movement of the propellers must be complied with immediately. To make correct adjustments for the required speed, you must keep a close watch on the revolutions-per-minute (rpm) indicator on the throttle board. You have to open or close the throttle, as required, to achieve or maintain the necessary rpm. Besides handling the throttle itself, you may also have to operate a variety of associated valves; accurately log all speed changes in the Engineer's Bell Book; visually check all gauges (pressure, temperature, vacuum, and so forth) installed on the throttle board; and keep the petty officer in charge informed of any abnormal gauge readings.

You should become thoroughly familiar with all the gauges, instruments, and indicators on the throttle board to know what the normal readings are. Some of these include the steam, feedwater, and cooling water pressure gauges, steam temperature thermometers, the rpm indicator, the EOT, gauges indicating the vacuum obtained in the main engine low-pressure turbine, and others. Whenever an opportunity presents itself, study the throttle board and ask questions. Do not hesitate to ask the operator which readings are normal. Ask which readings are appropriate for steaming conditions. After learning the difference between a normal reading and an abnormal reading, you will be able to help prevent a major casualty, You will recognize an abnormal reading and can report it to the petty officer in charge of the watch.