Ship Disaster Investigation

Ships: Mode of Transportation Clipper Ship Tanker Ship Aircraft Carrier Economical as well as technological development of ships and shipping industry has been phenomenal over the past few centuries. Modern supertankers, bulk carriers and aircraft carriers have evolved from the age old clipper ships 2 2

Classification of Ships According to Usage Bulk Carriers, Tankers, container ships are used for transportation of cargo (oil, ores, grains, etc) Cost effective way of transportation Aircraft Carriers, Submarines, Frigates, etc play key role in defense Technologically superior ships Used for transportation of passengers Cruise ships have major contribution to tourism industry

Ship Safety

Safety: Big Issue for Ocean-going Vessels Safety of ship, cargo, crew and passengers is the most important thing Any flaw in design, construction or operation of ship can cause disasters like “Titanic”

Dangers Uneven Loading Storm / Heavy Seas Fire Human Errors Faults in Design / Construction

Ship Disasters: Case 1 RMS Titanic Sank : April 15, 1912 1517 People died Cause: Titanic struck an iceberg broke apart into 2 pieces Sinking of Titanic had major impact on the design of ships. While Titanic had double bottom, she did not have double hull. After her sinking, new ships were designed with double hull and fully extended watertight bulkheads

Ship Disasters: Case 2 SS Edmund Fitzgerald Sank: November 10, 1975 All 29 crew members perished Cause: Gale Storm Fitzgerald took on water through the damaged cargo hold covers and was then overwhelmed by the gigantic waves

Ship Disasters: Case 1 Exxon Valdez On March 24, 1989 she ran aground on Bligh Reef in Prince William Sound Alaska It spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil, one of the largest spills in human history Caused major threat to flora and fauna in the region

Basic Ship Terminology

Starboard Stern Bow Port Bow : Front part of the ship Stern : Rear part of the ship Starboard: Right side of the ship Port : Left side of the ship

Ship: A Big Floating Body Roll: Rolling is the motion of a floating body about the longitudinal axis ( axis along the length of the body) Pitch: Pitching is the motion about the transverse axis of the body (i.e axis along the width of the ship. Yaw: Yawing is the motion of a floating body about the vertical axis. Terminology

Draft of a ship is the vertical distance between the waterline and the bottom of the hull Freeboard of a ship is the vertical distance above the waterline Beam of a ship is the width of a ship at any cross section

The Simulation

Contents of the Kit Things Needed Ship Disaster Investigation Agency Agent’s Guide Ship Disaster Case Check sheet Things Needed Calculator Pencil / Pen

General Guidelines Simulation involves analysis of ship disaster case studies. Students play role of Ship Disaster Investigation Agency (SDIA) agents analyzing the ship disasters SDIA agents identify the possible causes for the disaster This activity requires 2 class periods During the first period study the case, identify the reasons for the ship disaster by consulting the SDIA agent’s guide Present the findings in the given format during the second period

Day 1: Analysis of Ship Disaster Case

Form investigation teams of 4-5 students each Each team gets one ship disaster case to analyze Read the case carefully Fill the check sheet Look for the clues, they can be present in the case itself Refer to the SDIA agent’s guide for more technical information Use conversions factors and formulae if necessary Find the reasons that caused the disaster

Day 2: Presentation of Findings (Report)

Use the standard ship disaster investigation report template Prepare your report Present your findings to the class

Assessment

Ship disaster investigation reports will be assessed based on the following quality characteristics Understanding of the nature of the disaster Ability of SDIA agents to find the clues Ability of SDIA agents to find the reasons for the disaster Presenting the findings of the analysis

Wrap-up

Don’t forget Return the SDIA agent’s guide to the teacher