1 
Emergency batteries as well as GMDSS batteries onboard serve an important function. During a black out, emergency generator need some power source to start automatically.
Emergency batteries acts as the source for thi required power to the emergency generator. If the emergency batteries are week, emergency generator may not start in auto mode.
We would then need to start the emergency generator manually from emergency generator room. This can take away vital time which may result in disastrous situations.
There are many ships where on load testing the emergency generator require black out of ESB.
If so, We should carry out this load test atleast every 3 months. The procedure to load test the emergency generator will be to disconnect ESB from main switchboard and then observing if emergency generator starts automatically.
If it doesn’t start, among other things we should also check the condition of batteries.
There are battery tests that the seafarer responsible for batteries must know. Regular testing of the emergency generator should also include tests to ensure if batteries can supply power to start emergency generator.
Join now to access this article and much more.
Admin has placed this article behind a paywall, making it accessible only with a paid membership, which offers numerous perks:
- Contribute to creating a platform for reading and writing without ads.
- Enjoy all content here, including exclusive articles for members.
- Gain access to all exclusive articles for members.
About Capt Rajeev Jassal
Capt. Rajeev Jassal has sailed for over 24 years mainly on crude oil, product and chemical tankers. He holds MBA in shipping & Logistics degree from London. He has done extensive research on quantitatively measuring Safety culture onboard and safety climate ashore which he believes is the most important element for safer shipping.
Comments (1)