CHAPTER 9
ENGINEERING CASUALTY CONTROL
This chapter provides general information on
engineering casualty control, a phase of damage
control. If a review of damage control principles
and related information is necessary, see Basic
Military Requirements, NAVEDTRA 10054 (cur-
rent edition), Military Requirements for Petty Of-
ficer 3 & 2, NAVEDTRA 10056 (current edition),
Fireman, NAVEDTRA 10520 (current edition),
and Naval Ships’ Technical Manual, chapter 079.
The mission of engineering casualty control is to
maintain all engineering services in a state of max-
imum readiness and reliability. To carry out this
mission, it is necessary for all personnel concerned
to know what actions are necessary to prevent,
minimize, and correct any effects of operational
and battle casualties on the machinery and the
electrical and piping installations of their ship.
The primary objective of casualty control is
to maintain a ship in such a condition that it will
function effectively as a fighting unit. This re-
quires effective maintenance of propulsion
machinery, electrical systems, interior and exterior
communications, fire control, electronic services,
ship control, fire main supply, and of such
miscellaneous services as heating, air condition-
ing, and compressed air. Failure of any of these
services will affect a ship’s ability to fulfill its
primary objective, either directly, by reducing its
power, or indirectly, by creating conditions which
would lower personnel morale and efficiency.
A secondary objective of casualty control is
to minimize personnel casualties and secondary
damage to vital machinery.
You can find detailed information on casu-
alty control in the Engineering Casualty Control
Manual, the Damage Control Book, the Ship’s
Organization Book, and the Ship’s Repair Party
Manual. Although these publications vary from
ship to ship, they explain the organization and the
procedures that must be followed when engineer-
ing casualties, damage to the ship, or other
emergency conditions occur.
FACTORS INFLUENCING
CASUALTY CONTROL
The basic factors influencing the effectiveness
of engineering casualty control are much broader
than the immediate actions taken at the time of
the casualty. Engineering casualty control effi-
ciency is obtained through a combination of
sound design, careful inspection, thorough plant
maintenance (including preventive maintenance),
and effective personnel organization and train-
ing. CASUALTY PREVENTION IS THE MOST
EFFECTIVE FORM OF CASUALTY CON-
TROL.
DESIGN
Design influences the effectiveness of casu-
alty control in two ways: (1) the elimination of
weaknesses which may lead to material failure and
(2) the installation of alternate or standby equip-
ment for supplying vital services in the event of
a casualty to the primary equipment. Both of these
factors are considered in the design of naval ships.
Each individual plant aboard ship is equipped
with duplicate vital auxiliaries, loop systems, and
cross connections. All complete propulsion plants
are designed to operate as isolated units (split-
plant design).
CASUALTY CONTROL
COMMUNICATIONS
Casualty control communications is extremely
important to the operation and organization of
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