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 TM 55-1905-223-SDC
A dangerous but often necessary method of testing a compartment for flooding is to back off slowly on some
of the dogs which hold a hatch or a door closed. Crew members have made the irretrievable error of first
loosening the dogs on the edge of the door away from the hinges. This results in the door buckling or flying
open and another compartment needlessly flooding. The correct procedure is to slack off slightly on the dogs
adjacent to the hinges where there is a slight amount of clearance around the hinge pins. As the dogs are
loosened, water, if present, will begin to trickle between the gasket and the knife edges on that side. Control
is still maintained by the hinges and the opposite dogs. This method cannot be used with quick-acting doors
or scuttles where the hatch dogging devices are interconnected.
CAUTION
Investigators should take no action which might cause loss of control of a watertight
fitting, and all compartments must be resecured after leaving them. Failure to do so
creates a hazard to the survival of the ship.
As in the case of progressive flooding through damaged or improperly maintained fittings, fire, gas and smoke
may be spread in a similar manner. Open flues such as trunks and ventilation ducts are potential sources of
trouble. The latter are especially dangerous, for if the contain flammable dust or are not properly secured,
they will carry fire to other parts of the ship. Fire has been known to travel along electrical cables, and the
heat transferred by metal bulkheads has caused fires in parts of the ship far distant from the original source.
It is necessary to inspect a wide area around the scene of a magazines and ammunition stowage areas must
be avoided. Care should also be exercise when opening watertight hatches or scuttles into the compartments
suspected of containing fire. There is a distinct possibility that heat within the compartment may build an
overpressure within the space, below the hatch, and belch fire and smoke when the dogs are loosened.
g. Initial steps of control. After the initial investigation, steps shall be taken to localize and control
the damage, and investigate for hidden potential damage. Repair party provided with protective equipment,
lighting and ventilating facilities, and other required tools shall take the following general steps:
WARNING
Crew members must wear an Oxygen Breathing Apparatus (OBA) while fighting fires
below decks and should wear this equipment whenever possible while fighting fires on
weather decks or similar open areas. Failure to do so can cause serious personal injury.
(1) If fire is present, the firefighting party must begin operations immediately.
(2) Electrical circuits in the damaged area should be secured, preferably by removing fuses in a
compartment at a distance from the scene of damage.
2-7
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