§ 62.50-20 Additional requirements for minimally attended machinery plants. Note 1 to § 62.50-20 :
Minimally attended machinery plants include vessel machinery plants and spaces that are automated, but not to a degree where the plant could be left unattended. Emphasis is placed on the centralized remote control and monitoring of the machinery plant and machinery spaces.
( a ) *General.* ( 1 ) Navigating bridge propulsion control must be provided.
( 2 ) An ECC must be provided and must include the automatic and remote control and monitoring systems necessary to limit the operator's activity to monitoring the plant, initiating programmed control system sequences, and taking appropriate action in an emergency.
( 3 ) The ECC must include control and monitoring of all vital engineering systems, including— ( i ) The propulsion plant and its auxiliaries;
( ii ) Electrical power generation and distribution;
( iii ) Machinery space fire detection, alarm, and extinguishing systems; and
( iv ) Machinery space flooding safety systems, except the valves described in paragraph (e)(4) of this section.
( 4 ) ECC control of vital systems must include the ability to place required standby systems, auxiliaries, and power sources in operation, unless automatic transfer is provided, and to shut down such equipment when necessary. Note 2 to paragraph ( a
)(4):
ECC remote control need not include means for a single operator to bring the plant to standby from a cold plant or dead ship condition or controls for non-vital systems or equipment.
( b ) *Alarms and instrumentation.* ( 1 ) A personnel alarm must be provided and must annunciate on the bridge if not routinely acknowledged at the ECC or in the machinery spaces.
( 2 ) Continuous or demand instrumentation displays must be provided at the ECC to meet the system and equipment monitoring requirements of this part if the ECC is to be continuously attended. If the watchstander's normal activities include maintenance, a roving watch, or similar activities in the machinery spaces but not at the ECC, both alarms and instrumentation must be provided.
( 3 ) All required audible alarms must annunciate throughout the ECC and machinery spaces.
( c ) *Fire detection and alarms.* An approved automatic fire detection and alarm system must be provided to monitor all machinery spaces. The system must activate all alarms at the ECC, the navigating bridge, and throughout the machinery spaces and engineers' accommodations. The ECC and bridge alarms must visually indicate which machinery space is on fire, as applicable.
( d ) *Fire pumps.* ( 1 ) The ECC must include control of the main machinery space fire pumps.
( 2 ) Remote control of a required fire pump must be provided from the navigating bridge. Where one or more fire pumps is required to be independent of the main machinery space, at least one such pump must be controlled from the navigating bridge.
( e ) *Flooding safety.* ( 1 ) Machinery space bilges, bilge wells, shaft alley bilges, and other minimally attended locations where liquids might accumulate must be monitored from the ECC to detect flooding angles from vertical of up to 15° heel and 5° trim.
( 2 ) The ECC must include the controls necessary to bring at least one independent bilge pump and independent bilge suction required by § 56.50-50(e) of this subchapter into operation to counter flooding.
( 3 ) Where watertight doors in subdivision bulkheads are required in the machinery spaces, they must be Class 3 watertight doors and must be controllable from the ECC and the required navigating bridge control location.
( 4 ) Controls must be provided to operate the sea inlet and discharge valves required by § 56.50-95(d) of this subchapter and the emergency bilge suction required by § 56.50-50(f) of this subchapter. These controls must be arranged to allow time for operation in the event of flooding with the vessel in the fully loaded condition. Time considerations must include detection, crew response, and control operation time.
( f ) *Communications.* ( 1 ) A means must be provided at the ECC to selectively summon any engineering department member from the engineering accommodations to the ECC.
( 2 ) The voice communications system required by § 113.30-5(a) of this chapter must also include the engineering officers' accommodations.
( g ) *Electrical systems.* ( 1 ) The ECC must include the controls and instrumentation necessary to place the ship service and propulsion generators in service in 30 seconds.
( 2 ) The main distribution and propulsion switchboards and generator controls must either be located at the ECC, if the ECC is within the boundaries of the main machinery space, or the controls and instrumentation required by part 111 of this chapter must be duplicated at the ECC. Controls at the switchboard must be able to override those at the ECC, if separate. Also see §§ 111.12-11(g) and 111.30-1 of this chapter regarding switchboard location.
( h ) *Maintenance program.* ( 1 ) The vessel must have a planned maintenance program to ensure continued safe operation of all vital systems. Program content and detail is optional, but must include maintenance and repair manuals for work to be accomplished by maintenance personnel and checkoff lists for routine inspection and maintenance procedures.
( 2 ) The planned maintenance program must be functioning prior to the completion of the evaluation period for reduced manning required by § 62.50-1(b)(5).
( 3 ) Maintenance and repair manuals must include details as to what, when, and how to troubleshoot, repair and test the installed equipment and what parts are necessary to accomplish the procedures. Schematic and logic diagrams required by § 62.20-1 of this part must be included in this documentation.
[CGD 81-030, 53 FR 17838, May 18, 1988; 53 FR 19090, May 26, 1988; 53 FR 24270, June 28, 1988; USCG-2004-18884, 69 FR 58346, Sept. 30, 2004; USCG-2014-0688, 79 FR 58281, Sept. 29, 2014; USCG-2020-0634, 89 FR 50195, June 12, 2024]