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Electrical installation onboard ships

A contractor member has reported that they have experienced a number of potentially serious incidents involving electric shocks to personnel working on what was thought to be isolated electrical machinery onboard their vessels.

At least one of these incidents was caused by failure to isolate supply properly (two separate supplies from two different switchboards to the same machinery). It appears that in this case there may have been unrecorded modification to the electrical system some 10 years ago.

The member has elected to check their vessel electrical systems and to ensure that all drawings of these systems are up to date and in accordance with appropriate rules/safe practice.


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