Engineering operating records are meant to ensure regular inspection of operating machinery and to provide data for performance analysis.

Operating records are not intended to replace frequent inspections of operating machinery by supervisory personnel and are not to be trusted implicitly to provide warning of impending casualties. Personnel who maintain operating records must be properly indoctrinated. They must be trained to correctly obtain, interpret, and record data, and to report any abnormal conditions noted.

The type commanders directives specify which engineering operating records will be maintained and prescribe the forms to be used when no standard record forms are provided. The engineer officer may require additional operating records when (all factors consideredincluding the burden of added paperwork) he deems them necessary.

The operating records discussed in this chapter are generally retained on board for a period of 2 years, after which time they may be destroyed in accordance with current disposal regulations. Completed records must be stowed where they will be properly preserved, and in such a manner as to ensure that any one of the records can be easily located.

DIESEL ENGINE OPERATING RECORD.The Diesel Engine Operating Record-all Ships, NAVSEA 9231/2 (figures 2-3 and 2-4), is a daily record maintained for each operating diesel engine. In ships with more than one main engine in the same engineroom, a separate record sheet is maintained for each operating engine.

The watch supervisor enters the remarks and signs the record for his watch. The petty officer in charge of the engineroom or the senior engineman checks the accuracy of the record and signs the record in the space provided on the back of the record. Any unusual conditions noted in the record are immediately reported to the engineer officer and the record is sent to the engineer officer for approval.

FUEL AND WATER ACCOUNTS.The maintenance of daily diesel fuel, lubricating oil, and water accounts is vital to the efficient operation of the engineering department. Forms and procedures necessary to account for and preserve a limited supply of freshwater and fuel are generally prescribed by the type commanders. Principally, the accounts inform the engineer officer of the status of the ships liquid load and form the basis of reports submitted to higher authority by the engineer officer.

It is fundamental to all naval operations that the ship and unit commanders know the exact amount of burnable fuel on hand. When com-putting the amount of burnable fuel on board, consider only the fuel in the service and storage tanks. All the fuel below the fuel suction line is to be considered not burnable.

FUEL AND WATER REPORTS.The Fuel and Water Report, NAVSEA 9255/9 (figures 2-5 and 2-6), is a report submitted daily to the commanding officer. This report indicates the amount of fuel oil and water on hand as of midnight, the previous day. The Fuel and Water Report also includes the previous days feed and potable water performance and results of water tests. The original and one copy are submitted to the OOD in sufficient time for submission to the commanding officer or command duty officer with the 1200 reports. The copy is retained by the OOD.