these products into the bilge or into the OWH or waste
2. Your ship should minimize use of any bilge
oil tanks.
cleaners or chemical agents, such as detergents and
surfactants, that will promote chemical emulsion. This
In the case of synthetic lube oils and hydraulic oils,
step will enable the OWS units to work more effectively.
your ship must also collect these products separately
from other used/waste oils. If your ship does not have a
3. In port, your ship should off-load oily wastes to
system dedicated to collection of synthetic oils, you
a shore receiving facility. The use of shoreside donuts
must use 5- or 55-gallon steel containers, properly
(oil disposal rafts) is being phased out. Ships will be
labeled, for eventual shore recycling. All personnel who
charged an analysis fee for a laboratory analysis of
must handle synthetic oils must wear protective
contaminated bilge water.
clothing, such as impermeable gloves, coveralls, and
4. In port, your ship can use any of the following
goggles.
methods to dispose of oily bilge water:
Your ship will receive all oil products in the original
a. Oil-water separator (OWS) systemYour
packaging or containers, such as drums or cans. Your
ship should use its OWS system unless state standards
ship should retain these containers and keep them
or local port authorities prohibit its use. This is one of
properly labeled for storing used oil products and
the most important steps in pollution control.
transferring them ashore.
b. Oil-ship waste offload barges (O-SWOBs)
Waste Water Test Chemicals. You must place the
Ships that are not equipped with bilge OWS systems
waste from each chemical product in the original or in
should use the O-SWOB system for treating and
its own properly marked container. Never pour these
collecting oils and oily wastes.
products into shipboard drains. For example, you must
store bottles containing mercury wastes (mercuric
c. Permanent shore reception facilitiesWhere
nitrate) on board until you can turn them over for
adequate oily waste collection lines are provided, your
disposal to the public works officer or public works
ship may pump oily bilge wastes directly ashore.
center at a naval installation (base or shipyard) or an
5. Your ship may be equipped with oily waste
industrial facility.
holding (OWH) tanks instead of an OWS system. In this
Whenever you are handling the flammable or
case, your ship must direct all shipboard oily wastes to
hazardous materials we have just described, always
the OWH tanks. In the tanks, the oil will be separated
follow the prescribed safety guidelines. Now, let's take
from the water. This step will allow your ship to recover
a look at some of the safety guidelines you should follow
and transfer ashore valuable reusable waste oil and
when you are operating and monitoring laboratory test
reduce pollution. Ensure this OWH tank is never
equipment.
contaminated with synthetic oils.
6. In normal operations, your ship must not use
OPERATING AND MONITORING
eductors to dewater bilges containing oily wastes. In
LABORATORY TEST EQUIPMENT
emergencies when the OWS or OWH system cannot
handle flow requirements, your ship is permitted to use
While assigned to the oil lab, you will be required
eductors. In these cases, your ship must be underway,
to use a variety of sampling and testing equipment items.
should try to be at least 12 nm from land, and should
In the following paragraphs, we will briefly describe this
have the proper notations entered into the engineering
equipment and the precautions you should take to
logs.
operate, monitor, and maintain these items safely.
Waste/Used Oil. Before your ship departs from
All the equipment we will describe must use some
port or after it returns, you and other shipboard
sort of electrical power device to obtain the power to
personnel must make every effort to use the available
operate. As with all types of electrical equipment, you
port facilities to dispose of waste/used oil products.
should periodically check the casing of the equipment
These facilities include O-SWOBs, pier-side collection
and the power cords for damage. Remember to keep
tanks, tank trucks, bowers, and contaminated fuel
countertops and decks free of liquids whenever you are
barges.
operating this equipment. If you have an electrical
In the case of used lube oils, your ship must collect
problem or you realize that electrical safety checks need
these products separately, store them, and label them for
to be performed, always make sure the electricians are
promptly informed.
eventual shore recycling. Your ship must not discharge
