Other general duties of the engineer officer include
the following:
. Organize the department, train and assign
personnel, maintain material, and ensure optimum
readiness for battle.
. Prepare and maintain bills and orders necessary
for proper organization and efficient operation of the
engineering department.
. Indoctrinate and supervise persons within the
department and others under his control to ensure strict
observance of all prescribed and necessary security
measures and safety precautions. This requires proper
posting of all safety precautions and frequent training in
security measures and safety precautions.
. Frequently inspect personnel, material, and
spaces assigned to the engineering department to correct
defects and deficiencies. The engineer officer or his
representative should inspect the department each day
and report results of the inspection to the XO.
. Control the expenditure of allotted funds and
operate the engineering department within the limit of
such funds.
l Practice economy in the use of public funds.
. Maintain records and submit reports required of
the engineering department.
. Maintain, preserve, and ensure security of spaces
assigned to the engineering department.
. Anticipate personnel and material needed in the
engineering department and submit timely requests to
fulfill requirements.
. Cooperate with other department heads for
coordination of effort of the entire command.
l Perform such other duties as may be assigned.
PROSPECTIVE ENGINEER OFFICER.
Usually, when an officer reports to a ship in commission
to relieve the engineer officer, the relief is effected
jointly by the two officers concerned. In this case, the
job of the incoming officer is relatively simple and he
can get a lot of help from the incumbent.
At other times, an engineer officer may be assigned
to a ship before it is commissioned. In this case, the
circumstances are quite different. He performs the
duties of engineer officer subject to the orders of the
officer to whom he has reported for duty. If his ship is
being constructed, he will initially organize the
engineering department as well. He will establish and
maintain working relations with shipyard personnel;
attend to the numerous details concerning inspection of
machinery, tests, trials, and equipage; prepare casualty
control and repair party manuals, operating
instructions, and safety precautions; select personnel
for certain jobs; train assigned personnel; and perform
the many other details required on a new ship before it
is commissioned. The job will be less complicated if the
ship has been in commission previously, as in the case
of the major conversion of a reactivated ship.
In any event, the job of the prospective engineer
officer will be easier if he has had previous experience
in the engineering department of a naval ship. One of
the first things he should do is prepare a checklist of all
required publications, logs, records, and reports. Such a
list will make it easier to organize the engineering
department and determine that the necessary
publications, logs, records, and reports are complete,
correct, and up to date before he relieves the engineer
officer. The Naval Ship's Technical Manual; the
Damage Control Manual, the NWP 62-1; the U.S. Navy
Regulations, 1990; the NAVSEASYSCOM directives;
and the TYCOMs directives will be helpful in the
preparation of such a checklist.
DUTIES UPON DETACHMENT. When the
engineer officer of a ship is ordered detached, the
officer and his relief must jointly inspect the material
and records of the engineering department. Upon
completion of the inspection, the two officers submit a
joint report to the CO. The report lists any defects or
deficiencies, describes the status of transfer of the
equipage charges to the department or subdivision (not
required in organizations where equipage is held in the
plant account), and states the facts in dispute when there
is any disagreement. The CO determines the actual
conditions, fixes responsibility for them, and takes such
actions as may be necessary to complete the following
procedures.
During the joint inspection of the engineering
department, the relieving officer should do the
following:
l
l
l
Inspect operation of the engineering plant at
anchor and underway (if possible).
Investigate any recent engineering casualties.
Inspect all spaces for cleanliness, preservation,
and posting of safety precautions and operating
instructions.
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