Ship safety a matter of process

Navy’s ships will head to sea in a more seaworthy and safe state thanks to the introduction in 2005 of a new process focused on material safety called the Material Condition Assessment (MCA).

The MCA is part of the Navy Technical Regulatory System (NTRS) introduced by Navy to improve confidence in the design, build and maintenance of RAN ships.

The NTRS requires Navy to have sound engineering processes in place. The MCA is one of them.

Responsibility for technical integrity is assigned to the platform engineer, while Maritime Command Chief Staff Officer (Engineering) or CSO (E) assures the material state of the Fleet.

While Navy operates ships safely, the CSO(E) and his boss, the Chief Combat Support Group (AUSFLTCSG), have been working on new ways to ensure that the highest safety standards are maintained.

The MCA meets the need for a consistent, repeatable and auditable process to assess the ship’s material state before it goes to sea.

It gives ship’s engineers the tool that will assure they know, as best as possible, the risk attached to the ship’s plant and equipment. No longer will Fleet Staff arrive during a refit, do an inspection and provide a list of defects to be fixed.

This was not a good use of resources, took accountability for the ship from the ship, and made it difficult for Fleet to be independent during the LOE or Basin Trial.

Nor did this way of doing business give CSO(E), or the ship’s Commanding Officer, any confidence the ship had the ability to assess and maintain its own ship.

MCA’s principle is that the ship’s engineers and crew assess the plant and equipment using the MCA assessment procedures approved by CSO(E).

With this assessment the engineers are able to prepare a Hazard Risk Assessment (HRA) on the material risk that is attached to sailing the ship for work-up and trials.

The AUSFLTCSG team under CSO(E) will audit the ship’s MCA making sure the MCA has been satisfactorily completed and that the HRA produced by the ship is sound. MCA Trials have been conducted on Darwin, Sydney, Warramunga and Manoora.

These trials have already proven the value of the MCA by assisting to identify important engineering issues including HRMI management and post upgrade defects such as switchboard configuration and electrical plant control.

The trials have also shown that the new process does not add to the burden on the ship’s technical complement.

The MCA process will be common to all platforms with only the equipment and system procedures being specific to ship types.

When the MCA process is implemented progressively from March onwards, ships will be able to access the MCA documentation including instructions and assessment procedures on the Maritime Command Engineering Division page on DEFWEB.

For ships unable to access DEFWEB the MCA will be available on CD.

• For further information, contact MHQ Engineering Division, CMDR Tim Kemp on (02) 9359 4409 or WOMT Bob Brownlie on (02) 9359 3670.

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