# 02 - Chief Engineer Standing Orders ## 1. Introduction These standing orders guide the safe, efficient and pollution-free operation of the vessel's machinery. All engineering personnel must read and sign them on joining, and re-sign annually following the Chief Engineer's review. All duties must be carried out in accordance with SOLAS, MARPOL, COSWP, the ISM and ISPS Codes, MCA, flag-state and classification requirements, the vessel's SMS, and the Master's and Chief Engineer's standing orders. ## 2. Responsibilities and Presentation Engineering personnel follow the instructions of the Captain and Chief Engineer and assist in the safe and lawful operation of all engineering systems — planned and corrective maintenance, machinery operation, record-keeping, purchasing and housekeeping. Any doubt or lack of confidence in carrying out a task must be raised with the Chief Engineer without delay. 1. Personnel must present themselves to a professional standard: clean shaven, correct uniform freshly pressed, clean footwear and tidy hair. 2. Personnel must be familiar with the company Drug and Alcohol policy and must never attend work in a condition that could endanger the vessel. 3. All engineers must familiarise themselves with the DeepBlue© engine room standard operating procedures, the vessel's alarm system and the response to each alarm. 4. Before taking a first watch, an engineer must satisfy the Chief Engineer that they are familiar with the vessel, safety practices, operating parameters and these standing orders. ## 3. Procedures ### 3.1 Entry into engine room spaces Only crew may enter the engine room, and only in the presence of the Chief Engineer or Second Engineer. No machinery may be operated by anyone who has not been trained on that equipment and specifically authorised by the Captain, Chief Engineer or Second Engineer. New engineering personnel must locate and read the manuals for all critical equipment on arrival and complete the engine department new-joiner familiarisation form. ### 3.2 Planned maintenance No change to the DeepBlue© planned maintenance system may be made without the Chief Engineer's approval. Planned maintenance items must be completed within the week stated on the active PM record unless the Chief Engineer grants an extension. Completed work must be signed off in DeepBlue© by the person carrying it out, with a comment describing what was done and what was found; if nothing abnormal was found, this must be stated. Before any maintenance, the duty engineer must ensure and record that: 1. the machinery is correctly isolated and bypassed; 2. remaining plant is adjusted to run safely during the maintenance period; 3. all required safety steps have been taken; 4. the repaired equipment is tested before being returned to service. ### 3.3 Purchase and work orders All items and services purchased for the engine department must be entered in the DeepBlue© Purchasing section — no exceptions — and approved by the Captain. ### 3.4 Housekeeping Cleanliness of the engine room is paramount. Spillages must be cleaned immediately, machinery cleaned regularly, and the work area left clean on completion of any task. Drop cloths must be used when working on machinery, and no tools or metal components may be left on deck plates. Any item dropped into the bilge must be retrieved immediately. Where deck plates are lifted, the area must be roped off and the plates refitted and secured at the earliest opportunity. The same care applies when working in interior or exterior spaces: areas must be left as found, and the Chief Officer, Chief Stewardess or Head Housekeeper informed immediately if damage or soiling occurs. Tools must be cleaned and returned to their designated stowage after use. ## 4. Watchkeeping ### 4.1 Calling the Chief Engineer The duty engineer must notify the Chief Engineer without delay whenever: - a malfunction endangers the safe operation of the vessel or may damage machinery; - an emergency arises or the duty engineer is in doubt as to the correct action; - any other circumstance covered by these standing orders occurs. In the meantime, the duty engineer must not hesitate to take immediate action to safeguard the vessel, its machinery and the people on board. ### 4.2 Engineering watch at anchor At anchor, the Chief Engineer must agree with the Master on watchkeeping arrangements sufficient to maintain a safe engineering watch and keep the propulsion and governor systems at readiness in accordance with the Master's orders. ### 4.3 UMS operations The maximum interval between engineering rounds during Unmanned Machinery Space (UMS) operation is eight hours. The UMS checklist must be completed before entering UMS mode, and the UMS time recorded in the engine logbook. Before UMS operation the duty engineer must verify that: 1. the fire alarm system has been tested; 2. the engineer's alarm call is routed to the duty engineer's cabin; 3. all safety and alarm systems for running and stand-by machinery are operable and not inhibited; 4. all stand-by equipment is ready for service; 5. main propulsion control and main communications/radio are fully operable; 6. all generators are in auto mode with sufficient power available; 7. bilge, tank high/low-level and sprinkler alarms are clear and the sprinkler system is in auto; 8. any specific orders from the Chief Engineer have been noted. If there is any doubt, the Chief Engineer must be called immediately. ### 4.4 Bridge notification The bridge must be notified immediately of any action in the machinery space that may reduce speed or cause steering, propulsion or electrical failure. When navigating in confined or congested waters, the duty engineer must ensure that all manoeuvring machinery can be switched instantly to manual and that adequate reserve power is available — all three generators on line. In restricted visibility, two air compressors must also be running in automatic to maintain air supply. ### 4.5 Rounds and watchkeeping The duty engineer's watch runs from 08:00 to 08:00 the following day. The duty engineer must periodically inspect the machinery space, paying particular attention to: 1. main and auxiliary machinery and their control and monitoring systems; 2. the steering system and associated machinery; 3. exhaust condition for good combustion; 4. bilge levels and contamination; 5. piping systems, with special attention to pressurised hydraulic oil lines. Rounds must also cover the status and mode of main and auxiliary systems, night orders, bridge requirements, fuel condition and tank levels (including purifiers), and the level and condition of bilges, waste oil tank and engine sumps. Equipment must be checked visually for leaks, loose fasteners, excessive heat or noise and any other anomaly, and confirmed to be operating within normal parameters. Rounds are more frequent when underway than when alongside or at anchor. At watch handover, the offgoing engineer must give a full briefing covering running machinery, active alarms, tank levels, transfers made and any activities in progress. All evolutions, including fuel transfers, must be completed before handover. The oncoming engineer must then make an immediate and complete check of the machinery space and record it in the log. No bilge alarm may be left unattended or uninvestigated. ## 5. Record keeping ### 5.1 Maintenance records All technical information must be recorded in DeepBlue© under the relevant equipment. No service reports or maintenance records may be kept on other computers or network drives. Relevant email content and attachments must also be copied into DeepBlue©. Planned, unplanned and repair work must all be logged with enough detail that the next engineer working on the equipment can understand its history. Certificates must be scanned and attached to the relevant DeepBlue© component, with renewal tasks created where applicable; originals must be filed in the correct folder. There are no exceptions. ### 5.2 Engine room logs The engine room logs must be completed by the watchkeeper or assistant at the prescribed times. All engine room operations, including machinery start-ups, rounds and checks, must be logged with the time of the activity. All overboard discharges must be logged in accordance with company, MARPOL and local requirements. ## 6. Safety ### 6.1 Emergency systems and procedures All engineering personnel must know the location and operation of the vessel's emergency systems and procedures. ### 6.2 Firefighting equipment Beyond portable firefighting equipment, engineering personnel must be fully capable of operating the fixed firefighting systems — manually, automatically, on emergency power, and with no electrical power — including manual operation and isolation of the sprinkler system, post-operation checks, and operation of the galley CO₂ system. Familiarisation with these systems is a priority on joining. ### 6.3 Escape routes Escape routes from the engine room and other engineering spaces must be kept clear at all times. ### 6.4 Alarms All engine room alarms must be silenced and attended to at the earliest opportunity. No alarm may be accepted on the alarm screen until its cause has been identified and rectified. ### 6.5 Electrical isolations Any work on electrical circuits or equipment must first be discussed with the Chief Engineer to assess shock hazard and interconnection with other systems. A permit to work must be completed for any non-routine electrical work, and isolated equipment must be tested for a safe condition before work begins. Only engineering personnel may operate breakers on lighting and power distribution boards, including resetting tripped breakers; the cause of any trip must be identified before resetting, especially where earth leakage protection has operated. All isolations must be recorded in the tag-out system, with tag-out signs placed on the breaker and locked where possible. Only the person who isolated a circuit may reconnect it; if personnel change, a proper handover must be made and the incoming engineer must accept responsibility for the validity of all precautions before reconnection. Before isolating a breaker for equipment work, the engineer must confirm from drawings that no other load is fed from it. Full isolation of a power or lighting distribution board requires the permission of the Chief Engineer, Second Engineer or ETO. All personnel must know the electrical isolations required for each compartment in case of fire. ### 6.6 Engine room tag-out system All mechanical and electrical tag-outs must be entered in the tag-out record book, with tag-out numbers shown on each warning sign. Only the person who placed a tag-out may remove it. Electrical isolations must be made at the distribution breaker and, where fuses are fitted, the fuses removed. Mechanical isolations must be tie-wrapped in the required position. ### 6.7 COSWP and permits to work All engineering activities must be carried out in accordance with the Code of Safe Working Practices for Merchant Seafarers (COSWP). Hot work and enclosed-space entry require a permit to work, completed in full by the requesting engineer and authorised by a responsible officer. ### 6.8 Handling caustics, acids and other chemicals Chemicals require particular care in handling, storage and use. The relevant safety data sheets must be carried on board and consulted, the duty engineer informed before handling, and the appropriate personal protective equipment worn. ### 6.9 Personal protective equipment (PPE) All personnel working in the engine room must wear appropriate protective clothing. Full ear protection must be worn when machinery is running, and eye protection when using fixed or portable power tools. It is the responsibility of each engineer to ensure PPE is in good condition; any item not in full working order must be removed from service and replaced as soon as possible. ## 7. MARPOL ### 7.1 Oil Record Book The Oil Record Book (ORB) is a legal document and must be kept clean and legible, following the guidance at the front of the book and ruling a line under each entry. Each completed page must be presented to the Captain for counter-signature. Entries must cover all fuel and oil bunkers and all bilge water movements (pumping and discharge); fuelling of tenders need not be logged. Only the Captain, Chief Engineer or Second Engineer may carry out an overboard discharge, except where necessary for the safety of life or the vessel. The oily water separator (OWS) overboard valve must remain locked shut and opened only when required; the direct bilge overboard must remain shut and opened only in an emergency; the galley waste overboard must remain closed except when underway in a permitted position for food disposal. Black and grey water must normally be treated by the Hamann plant before discharge; untreated discharge is permitted only within MARPOL and local regulations and with the permission of the Captain or Chief Engineer. ### 7.2 Bunkering procedures Bunkering must be carried out in accordance with the SMS, local port regulations and MARPOL 73/78, and only with the Chief Engineer's permission. Checklists, logs and paperwork must be completed before any transfer, and no fuel may be loaded until the supplier's specification sheet has been received. Representative samples must be taken of all fuel loaded and retained for one year. The Oil Record Book must be completed immediately after bunkering. Every engineer must be familiar with the vessel's Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan (SOPEP) and review it regularly. ### 7.3 MARPOL 73/78 and overboard discharges Engineering personnel must be fully aware of the MARPOL 73/78 Convention — its rules, regulations and penalties — and must keep up to date with amendments and additional annexes as they come into force. ## 8. Revision History The Master is responsible for ensuring that the latest version of the manual is available on board.
Version Date Editor Revision History
1.0 06 Mar 2020 Marco Franzini Initial Commit
1.1 13 Jan 2021 Marco Franzini Small Change & Typos
1.2 02 Dec 2023 Christophe Guegan Rewrite Structure
1.3 11 Apr 2026 Christophe Guegan Condensed rewrite