Basic Damage Control
Course 999

MPT is the most complete full service private maritime school in the country and has been training mariners since 1983. Our Fort Lauderdale based campuses host over 45,000 square feet of classrooms, deck and engineering training labs, the Ship's Store, and student service facilities.

Preparing for Basic Damage Control

Course Description

MPT’s Damage Control Course is taught over 2 days, with a total of 16 hours of instruction and practical skill training. The classroom session includes presentations and information gleaned from both the military and commercial sector with lessons learned from real world events and shipboard emergencies. The Wet Training is designed to replicate a variety of emergency scenarios that would result in flooding onboard vessels; these include hull cracks, penetrating holes, pipe ruptures, and bilge pipe failures.

Students will have to use a variety of shoring, bracing, and patches to effect emergency repairs on the hull plating. The students will also have to properly install jubilee pipe patches, plugs, and even alternative patching material- such as oakum, jute, and improvised patching material. Students will also have to employ dewatering pumps and eductors to control the water level in the unit whilst they conduct repairs. The wet portion of the class is taught in MPT’s new Damage Control Trainer. The trainer is designed to provide sufficient water and water pressure to simulate ruptures in hull plating down to a draft of 80’, and pipe pressures approaching 100 psi.

The Trainer was designed to emulate shipboard conditions while providing a safe training environment. The steel constructed unit replicates a ship compartment of approximately1400 cubic feet- complete with hull plating, overhead piping, vertical piping, and isolating valves. It is designed to have 8 separate damage control props, with a water flow of up to 1,200 liters per minute of flooding (72,000 liters per hour) at a pressure of up to 100 psi. The compartment is watertight and will flood up to waist level and be maintained at that level until the flooding stops. This allows for a truly immersive scenario for the participants whilst maintaining their safety.

The props consist of: Hull Plating Horizontal tear in the hull plating Diagonal to Vertical tear in the hull plating Hull breach (hole) with an inward distortion of the hull plating Pipe Ruptures Rupture of an overhead 2” diameter pipe, without isolation valve Rupture of an overhead 2” diameter pipe, down facing without isolation valve Rupture of an overhead 2” diameter pipe, with isolation valve Rupture of a vertical 2” diameter pipe, without isolation valve Rupture of a vertical 2” diameter pipe, with isolation valve.

The students will need to make use of shoring, bracing, plate patches, box patches, jubilee patches, and portable de-watering pumps during the scenarios. They will operate in teams of 3, with one team active in the unit and another assisting from outside the space. The remaining participants will be on break or observing the drill from outside the Safety Zone.

The evolutions will continue until all attendees have been through the various drills and have a suitable understanding of the techniques involved. All participants will be issued safety gear for the duration of the training, this gear consists of: Rubber steel toe boots Safety Glasses Gloves Hard Hats Manual Inflation Safety Vest



Prerequisites

STCW BST

2 day class in Fort Lauderdale

Print this Course

Required Materials

Pencil, Pen, notebook for classroom sessions. Passport or National ID and appropriate attire for wet training, see below. ATTIRE: It is suggested that the attendees wear suitable long-sleeve coveralls and have a complete change of clothes, this is a wet trainer and everyone will get thoroughly soaked during the evolutions.