CG 47 CLASS ADVISORY NR 03-94
AMMUNITION ELEVATOR SAFETY DEFICIENCIES
REF/A/DOC/NAVSEA/05NOV93/-/NOTAL//
REF/B/DOC/CDNSWC/-//
NARR/REF A IS TECHNICAL MANUAL, NAVSEA S9081-ZN-STM-000, NSTM,
CHAPT 772, CARGO AND WEAPONS ELEVATORS - ADVANCE CHANGE NOTICE
(ACN) 1/A. REF B IS MIP 7121/004 MRC Q-13R 8JBQN.//
RMKS/1. THIS ADVISORY ALERTS ALCON TO A SAFETY HAZARD CONCERNING
USE OF THE AMMUNITION ELEVATOR.
2. BACKGROUND. NAVSEA HAS CONDUCTED A DETAILED REVIEW OF
SHIPBOARD CARGO/WEAPONS ELEVATOR SAFETY. THE REVIEW RESULTED IN
A REVISED LIST OF FEATURES VITAL TO ELEVATOR SAFETY WHICH WAS
PUBLISHED AS REF A. THE ORIGINAL DESIGN OF THE CG-47 CLASS AMMO
ELEVATORS DID NOT INCLUDE FIVE FEATURES VITAL TO SAFE ELEVATOR
OPERATION, MAKING THE ELEVATORS UNSAFE TO OPERATE IN ACCORDANCE
WITH CURRENTLY ESTABLISHED OPERATING PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES.
AFFECTED SHIPS ARE CG 47-61, 63-65, AND 67. THE MISSING SAFETY
FEATURES ARE:
A. RUN/STOP SWITCHES - PREVENTS ELEVATOR PLATFORM MOVEMENT
DURING LOADING AND UNLOADING DUE TO CONTROL SYSTEM MALFUNCTION OR
UNAUTHORIZED/INADVERTENT DISPATCH WHICH CAN AFFECT BOTH PERSONNEL
AND CARGO/WEAPONS SAFETY.
B. CONTROLLER MEMORY RESET - PREVENTS THE ELEVATOR FROM
RESPONDING TO A DISPATCH COMMAND RECEIVED PRIOR TO THE DOOR BEING
CLOSED. OTHERWISE THE ELEVATOR CAN DISPATCH AS SOON AS THE DOOR
IS CLOSED OR WHEN THE DOOR ELECTRICAL INTERLOCK SWITCH IS
INADVERTENTLY ACTUATED.
C. ROTATING MACHINERY GUARDS - PREVENTS PERSONNEL FROM
BECOMING ENTANGLED IN ROTATING MACHINERY.
D. CHAIN ACROSS MACHINERY ROOM DOOR - LACK OF CHAIN ALLOWS
PERSONNEL TO EXTEND INTO THE TRUNK IN THE WAY OF THE MOVING
PLATFORM OR TO FALL INTO THE TRUNK THROUGH THE MACHINERY ROOM.
E. DEADMAN CONTROL OF THE POWERED HATCH - DECREASES THE
TIME REQUIRED TO STOP HATCH MOTION WHEN PERSONNEL OR CARGO MOVE
INTO ITS PATH. THE OPERATOR CANNOT SEE THE HATCH WHILE IT IS
MOVING AND MUST DEPEND ON A SAFETY OBSERVER.
3. SHIPALT CG 47-947K (NOT INSTALLED IN CG 50, 51, AND 53)
INSTALLS RUN/STOP SWITCHES AT ALL LEVELS EXCEPT THE HATCH LEVEL,
CORRECTS THE CONTROLLER MEMORY RESET AND ADDS MACHINERY GUARDS,
DEADMAN CONTROL IN SIGHT OF THE POWERED HATCH AND A CHAIN ACROSS
THE MACHINERY ROOM DOOR. SHIPALT CG 47-262K (NOT INSTALLED IN CG
47-61, 63-65, AND 67-PARTIAL) INSTALLS RUN/STOP SWITCHES AT THE
HATCH LEVEL.
4. ACTION.
A. UNTIL RUN/STOP SWITCHES (PART OF SHIPALT CG 47-947K AND
SHIPALT CG 47-262K) ARE INSTALLED AND THE MEMORY RESET (PART OF
SHIPALT CG 47-947K) CORRECTED:
(1) VERIFY PROPER DOOR ELECTRICAL INTERLOCK OPERATION
IN ACCORDANCE WITH STEPS 1.S, 1.U(1) AND 1.W OF REF B WEEKLY AND
BEFORE ANY AMMUNITION TRANSFER. THIS MRC IS CURRENTLY BEING
REVISED BY CDNSWC TO CLARIFY PROCEDURES AND INCLUDE REF A
PASS/FAIL CRITERIA. THE DOOR ELECTRICAL INTERLOCK VERIFICATION
PROCEDURES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO CHANGE BUT STEP NUMBERS MAY VARY
IN THE REVISION.
(2) UNTIL THE ABOVE DEFICIENCIES HAVE BEEN CORRECTED,
A SAFETY OBSERVER SHALL BE STATIONED AT EACH SENDING/RECEIVING
STATION TO MONITOR LOADING/UNLOADING, MAINTENANCE AND ELEVATOR
OPERATION. SAFETY OBSERVERS SHALL BE QUALIFIED TO THE SAFETY
OBSERVER WATCH STATION STANDARD IN THE PQS FOR WEAPON/CARGO
ELEVATORS, NAVEDTRA 43108D, SECTION 301. SAFETY OBSERVERS SHALL
COMPENSATE FOR THE MISSING SAFETY FEATURES AND SHALL NOT
SIMULTANEOUSLY PERFORM ELEVATOR OPERATING PROCEDURES OR
CARGO/WEAPONS HANDLING OPERATIONS. SPECIFIC SAFETY OBSERVER
DUTIES ARE:
(A) PRIOR TO PERMITTING LOADING OR UNLOADING,
IDENTIFY THE LOCATION OF THE DOOR INTERLOCK SWITCH TO THE CARGO
HANDLERS WITH INSTRUCTIONS TO AVOID CONTACT WITH THE SWITCH.
(B) DURING LOADING/UNLOADING, ENSURE THE OPERATOR
REMAINS STATIONED AT THE DECK LEVEL EMERGENCY STOP (E-STOP)
PUSHBUTTON TO STOP THE ELEVATOR IF INADVERTENT PLATFORM MOVEMENT
BEGINS.
(C) AFTER LOADING/UNLOADING, ENSURE THE TRUNK
DOOR IS CLOSED AND DOGGED BEFORE PERMITTING ELEVATOR OPERATION.
(D) DURING MAINTENANCE, ENSURE THAT THE ELEVATOR
CIRCUIT BREAKER IS TAGGED "OUT OF SERVICE" DURING ALL WORK INSIDE
THE ELEVATOR TRUNK.
B. UNTIL MACHINERY GUARDS AND THE MACHINERY ROOM DOOR CHAIN
(PART OF SHIPALT CG 47-947K) ARE INSTALLED, PERSONNEL ARE
PROHIBITED FROM ENTERING THE MACHINERY ROOM DURING NORMAL HIGH
SPEED OPERATION. THE MACHINERY ROOM DOOR SHALL REMAIN LOCKED
EXCEPT WHEN ACCESS IS REQUIRED TO PERFORM MAINTENANCE,
TROUBLESHOOTING OR OTHER CORRECTIVE ACTIONS. WHEN ACCESS TO THE
MACHINERY ROOM IS REQUIRED AND THE ELEVATOR CANNOT BE TAGGED OUT
OF SERVICE, THE FOLLOWING ADDITIONAL RESTRICTIONS APPLY:
(1) A SAFETY OBSERVER SHALL BE STATIONED AT THE E-STOP
PUSHBUTTON OUTSIDE THE MACHINERY ROOM, IN VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE
PERSON INSIDE. THE SAFETY OBSERVER DUTIES ARE TO WARN THE PERSON
INSIDE OF POTENTIAL CONTACT WITH THE ROTATING MACHINERY AND PRESS
THE E-STOP PUSHBUTTON IF THE PERSON IS IN DANGER OF BECOMING
ENTANGLED DURING JOGGING.
(2) ELEVATOR MOVEMENT SHALL BE RESTRICTED TO JOG OR BY
SLIPPING THE BRAKE WHEN THE MACHINERY ROOM IS OCCUPIED.
C. UNTIL THE HATCH DEADMAN CONTROL (PART OF SHIPALT CG
47-947K) IS INSTALLED THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS SHALL BE TAKEN EACH
TIME THE HATCH IS OPENED OR CLOSED:
(1) A SAFETY OBSERVER WHO IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE
HATCH OPERATOR SHALL BE STATIONED TO DIRECT HATCH MOVEMENT AND
ENSURE ALL PERSONNEL, WEAPONS/CARGO AND HANDLING GEAR ARE CLEAR
OF THE PATH OF THE HATCH BY AT LEAST 5 FEET PRIOR TO PERMITTING
HATCH OPERATION.
(2) WHEN DIRECTED BY THE SAFETY OBSERVER, THE HATCH
OPERATOR AT THE MASTER CONTROL STATION SHALL IMMEDIATELY RELEASE
THE HATCH SELECTOR SWITCH, WHICH WILL SPRING RETURN TO THE OFF
POSITION.
D. WHEN THE SHIPALTS ARE COMPLETED, THE RESPECTIVE
RESTRICTIONS LISTED ABOVE MAY BE DISCONTINUED. THE RESTRICTIONS
AND ADDITIONAL MAINTENANCE LISTED ABOVE CANNOT BE ASSUMED TO
PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SAFETY IF ANY OTHER ELEVATOR COMPONENT FAILS
TO FUNCTION PROPERLY.
5. FOR COMNAVSURFLANT/COMNAVSURFPAC - RECOMMEND CG 47 CLASS
SHIPS AFFECTED BE TASKED TO ADHERE TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF PARA 4
ABOVE.
6. THIS ADVISORY HAS NO IMPACT ON EOSS, CSOSS, PMS OR TECHNICAL
DOCUMENTATION. IT WILL BE CANCELLED WHEN BOTH SHIPALTS HAVE BEEN
INSTALLED IN LISTED SHIPS.
7. POINT OF CONTACT IS MR. N. S. SMITHSON, PMS400F511, DSN:
332-5981 OR COMM (703) 602-5981, EXT 133. TPOC IS MR. M. V.
CHANG, SEA 03W43, DSN: 332-9393 OR COMM (703) 602-9393 (EXT
410).//
CG-47