To ensure the safety of vessel navigation and their effective technical operation, ship installations must be equipped with spare parts in exact accordance with the regulations of the Register and the norms of maintenance and repair. They must also be equipped with materials, special tools, control and measuring devices necessary for the maintenance of diesel engines and other installations, the nomenclature and volume of which are determined by the shipowner depending on the model of the installation, its technical condition, and operating conditions.
We have prepared five rules for you, following which the storage and maintenance of spare parts will be optimal!
1. Proper Storage
All spare parts on board the vessel must be:
- fixed in easily accessible places, taking into account the convenience of their inspection and removal;
- equipped with tags indicating the inventory number, the name of the mechanism for which they are intended, and the date they were received on the ship;
- protected from corrosion by applying a layer of preservative lubricant, paint, or varnish to their surfaces;
- listed in the inventory book.
In order to check the quantity and technical condition of spare parts during storage, it is necessary to inspect, take re-inventory, and, if necessary, re-conservation of spare parts and special devices every six months. Appropriate entries must be made about this check in the machine log and in the spare parts inventory book.
2. Timely Replenishment
When the vessel arrives at the supply or maintenance base, the chief engineer is obligated to take timely measures to replenish the on-board stock of spare parts according to the standards corresponding to the requirements of the Register.The replacement of spare parts must be carried out at the request of the engine department or similar services and specialists of the shipowner, whose responsibility is the timely and complete supply of ships with spare parts.
3. Scheduled Usage
The replacement of worn parts should generally be timed to coincide with maintenance and regular repairs.
Spare parts from the on-board stock established by the regulations of the Register are allowed to be used only in the event of breakdowns and damage to diesel engine parts and assemblies during vessel operation. The use of spare parts must be recorded in special reports, based on which the write-off and replenishment of the stock should be carried out.
4. Nomenclature Approval
The nomenclature and quantity of spare parts are established by the engine department or other services and specialists of the shipowner, depending on the design of the installation and the wear resistance of its components, based on the norms established by the manufacturer and the norms for the consumption of spare parts.
Storage, maintenance, and replenishment of spare parts are carried out according to the relevant documents that must be present on the ship. These documents include:
- Technical forms for main and auxiliary installations and auxiliary mechanisms servicing them;
- Operating instructions;
- Certificates of inspections, surveys, and tests issued by the Register inspector during the last annual survey;
- Spare parts inventory book;
- A set of assembly drawings and diagrams;
- Norms for wear and repair periods of diesel engines.
5. Onshore and On-Ship Storage
Spare parts must be stored in warehouses of coastal supply bases belonging to the shipowner, who is responsible for their condition. Individual spare parts used during scheduled preventive repairs may be stored directly on the ships.