STCW Shipboard Operations & Maintenance 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the function of a watertight integrity check prior to departure?
- To verify cargo weight distribution
- To ensure all openings and closures that prevent flooding are properly secured (Correct answer)
- To check navigation lights
- To test the steering gear
Correct answer: To ensure all openings and closures that prevent flooding are properly secured
A watertight integrity check confirms that hatches, doors, and other openings are secured to prevent flooding in an emergency.
Question 2: Under MARPOL Annex I, what must be recorded in the Oil Record Book?
- All cargo operations
- All machinery space operations involving oil, including bilge water discharge (Correct answer)
- Daily fuel consumption only
- Crew overtime related to engine maintenance
Correct answer: All machinery space operations involving oil, including bilge water discharge
MARPOL requires every oil transfer, bilge pumping, and discharge from machinery spaces to be logged in the Oil Record Book.
Question 3: What is the purpose of a permit-to-work system on board?
- To track crew overtime hours
- To formally authorize hazardous tasks and identify necessary precautions (Correct answer)
- To schedule routine maintenance tasks
- To record crew certifications
Correct answer: To formally authorize hazardous tasks and identify necessary precautions
Permits to work ensure that hazardous jobs are assessed, controls are in place, and responsible persons have authorized the work.
Question 4: Which extinguishing agent is preferred for a Class B (flammable liquid) fire in a paint locker?
- Water jet
- Dry powder or foam (Correct answer)
- CO2 only
- Sand
Correct answer: Dry powder or foam
Foam or dry powder is recommended for Class B fires as they smother the fire and do not spread the burning liquid.
Question 5: What does 'trim' refer to in shipboard operations?
- The side-to-side inclination of the vessel
- The difference in draft between the bow and stern (Correct answer)
- The speed reduction when maneuvering in port
- The angle of heel during a turn
Correct answer: The difference in draft between the bow and stern
Trim is the longitudinal inclination measured as the difference between forward and aft drafts.
Question 6: A safety officer on a merchant vessel is primarily responsible for which duty?
- Navigating the vessel in restricted visibility
- Ensuring compliance with the company SMS and conducting safety inspections (Correct answer)
- Managing cargo operations
- Maintaining the engine logbook
Correct answer: Ensuring compliance with the company SMS and conducting safety inspections
The safety officer oversees implementation of the Safety Management System and conducts inspections and drills.
Question 7: What is the correct procedure when discovering a fire in a cargo hold?
- Open all hatches to release smoke
- Sound the alarm, notify the bridge, and close all ventilation to the affected hold (Correct answer)
- Immediately use portable extinguishers inside the hold
- Increase ventilation to cool the space
Correct answer: Sound the alarm, notify the bridge, and close all ventilation to the affected hold
Closing ventilation starves the fire of oxygen; alerting the bridge initiates the ship's emergency response plan.
STCW Shipboard Operations & Maintenance 3
What is the function of a watertight integrity check prior to departure?