1.   The requirement for location and fire protection.

The first thing PSC will verify is definitely the location of the emergency generator, which is mandated by SOLAS Chapter II-1 Regulation 43. Under this regulation, the emergency generator room shall be located above the highest continuous deck, behind the collision bulkhead, and readily accessible from the open deck, generally not adjacent to Category A machinery spaces.

If the location of the emergency generator room is compliant, PSC inspectors will first check the structural fire protection requirements upon entering the room.

According to the definition of control stations in SOLAS Chapter II （Control stations are those spaces in which the ship's radio or main navigating equipment or the emergency source of power is located or where the fire recording or fire control equipment is centralized. Spaces where the fire recording or fire control equipment is centralized are also considered to be a fire control station.）The emergency generator room is classified as a control station, which has stringent requirements for fire-resisting divisions. Therefore, PSC inspectors will check whether the fire protection material cladding meets the requirements.

Regulation 9.1 of Chapter II-2 mandates fire-resisting division requirements for all six sides of control stations.

In the horizontal direction (front, rear, left and right) of a control station: the division adjacent to the open deck shall be steel-structured; the division adjacent to stairwells or corridors shall be Class A0; all divisions adjacent to other spaces shall be Class A15 or A60.In the vertical direction (top and bottom) of a control station: the division adjacent to accommodation spaces, Category A machinery spaces or ro-ro spaces shall be Class A60; all divisions adjacent to other spaces shall be Class A0.

Due to these stringent requirements, many vessels locate the emergency generator room independently on the open deck, eliminating the need to consider fire-resisting divisions at all.

This knowledge is essential to master, as the same inspection criteria apply to the wheelhouse, fire control station and other control stations that meet the definition—and it works effectively. Once PSC identifies non-compliance in fire-resisting divisions, it is deemed a critical finding and will definitely result in vessel detention.

Subsequently, PSC will check the manual call points. Per Regulation 7.7 of Chapter II-2, manual call points must be installed inside control stations. The absence or malfunction of such call points shall be treated as detention-worthy deficiencies.

Finally, inspectors will check if a portable fire extinguisher is placed at the entrance.

If all the above requirements are satisfied, the fire protection inspection shall be concluded.

2. Equipment condition

The equipment in the emergency generator room consists of the emergency switchboard, emergency generator, charging equipment, starting device and oil tank, making inspection relatively straightforward.

The emergency switchboard should be located in the same room as the emergency generator; if a storage battery is used as the emergency power source, the two must not be placed in the same room. All meters on the emergency switchboard must be functional, emergency indicator lights must be illuminated, the frequency must be stable after generator startup, insulation must be sufficient, and the automatic start switch must be set to the auto position.

For the emergency generator, the inspection focuses on the adequacy of cooling water and the thermal insulation coverage of the exhaust pipe.

Regarding the charging equipment, it is critical to confirm its installation location within the emergency generator room.

Starting systems typically adopt air, hydraulic or storage battery modes. In case the starting air is sourced from the engine room air receiver, a key PSC detention trigger is the absence of a check valve on the starting air bottle. The two figures below provide a comparison of such non-compliance cases for reference.

Oil tank inspection: first check if the quick-closing valve is directly fitted on the tank. If not, PSC will issue a deficiency like this: 07114-quickly closing valve not directly fitted on fuel tank of E/G (one filter & one valve & 1.2m pipelines fitted between quickly closing valve and fuel tank). Then check fuel quantity—insufficient fuel for 18h emergency generator running leads to detention.

PSC calculates it by checking the manual, getting the generator’s fuel consumption and multiplying by 18h. As shown in the figure below (emergency generator fuel consumption chart), confirm the emergency power first, then multiply by 18h.

3.    Test

With the hardware inspection completed, PSC will then conduct a series of tests:

1.Quick-closing valve test. A simple method is to ask the crew to pull it to check if it can close smoothly. Experienced PSC inspectors will require the crew to start the generator first, then close the quick-closing valve and check for any leakage.

2.Starting battery function test. First, test with one battery separately. Strict PSC inspectors will conduct three consecutive start attempts; if it fails, this constitutes a detention item. If it passes, proceed to test with the second battery and conduct another three attempts within 30 minutes. If it fails, a Code 17 deficiency will be issued at minimum, and the battery must be replaced.

3.Fuel leakage alarm test. Note that it is necessary to check whether the emergency generator is equipped with a high-pressure oil pump. Some people erroneously believe that emergency generators are exempt from this test; this is incorrect. All equipment except lifeboat engines are subject to this requirement.

Black start test. This has been explained in detail by the editor many times and will not be elaborated here.

----------------------------------Reprinted PSCReady