Thermal Imaging Case Study - Ship Survey (Steering Gear Compartment)

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency implements the government's maritime safety policy in the UK and works to prevent the loss of life on the coast and at sea.

Part 7 of the Merchant Shipping Notice No M1672  states that casualty investigations show that insufficient attention is paid to ensuring that connections and securing devices are tight, and that Shipowners should check connections at regular intervals so that any wear or other deterioration which could lead to loose parts, overheating or disintegration, is detected and corrected before any serious consequences arise.

Where connections cannot be checked, e.g. because of the need to maintain supplies to essential services, shipowners and surveyors are recommended to consider the use of thermographic imaging equipment to detect poor connections by means of generated heat.

The images below show early indications of a loose/bad connection on the steering gear panel on a commercial vessel. Obviously, if left unattended this connection could fail with the resulting loss of the steering gear. If this happened in adverse weather conditions, the ship and its crew would be put in great danger.

NW Total Engineered Solutions carry out Thermographic Surveys on commercial and private passenger carrying vessels on a 12-monthly cycle to help ensure the integrity of ships electrical and mechanical systems.