6.3 Ergonomics
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Statutory Documents - IMO Publications and Documents - Circulars - Maritime Safety Committee - MSC/Circular.834 – Guidelines for Engine-Room Layout, Design and Arrangement – (Adopted on 9 January 1998) - Annex - Guidelines for Engine-Room Layout, Design and Arrangement - 6 Recommended Procedures - 6.3 Ergonomics

6.3 Ergonomics

  6.3.1 Engine-room layout, design and arrangement should provide a work environment that fosters effective procedures, work patterns, and personnel safety and health, and that minimizes factors which degrade human performance or increase the potential for error.

  6.3.2 To standardize engine-room consoles and panels, the layout, design and arrangement of controls, instruments and alarms should take into consideration a recognized, international human engineering standard with regard to, at least, placement, shape, display, labelling, complexity, and control movement expectancy.

  6.3.3 For shipboard spare parts, arrangements should be made, where practicable, for the storage of spare parts and supplies contiguous to the machinery or equipment for which they are intended.

  6.3.4 For shipboard spare parts, an effective transportation and parts handling system should be incorporated into the engine-room design. The transportation and parts handling system should be designed to handle heavy machinery parts efficiently and safely and operate under the same conditions of static list, rolling, and pitching as the main propulsion machinery.

  6.3.5 Sufficient space around machinery should be ensured so that maintenance, repair and housekeeping tasks can be performed efficiently with no unnecessary restrictions or risk of injury from contact with hot surfaces or rotating machinery.

  6.3.6 A noise-protected communication station should be installed in the general area that most maintenance and watchkeeping activities take place, such as the engine-room lower level or pump flat, and outside the control room, when a control room is provided.

  6.3.7 The layout, design and arrangement of machinery and work areas in engine-rooms should be such that the engine-room can be conveniently cleaned.

  6.3.8 A supply of the tools necessary for expected tasks of personnel working in the engine-room should be maintained in a location that minimizes the distance a loaded tool box is likely to need transporting and, as much as possible, avoids the necessity of carrying tools up or down ladders.

  6.3.9 A supply of consumables, such as light bulbs, flashlights, batteries, aural protection, protective goggles, disposable work clothes, gloves, rags, cups, logbooks, pens and pencils, should be maintained in the engine-room for the use of personnel working in the engine-room.

  6.3.10 Engine-rooms should be provided with the type of amenities typically required by the personnel working in the engine-room during the course of their watch or duties, given the nature of the ship and the voyage, such as a changing area and toilet facilities.


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