PRINCIPLES OF NAVAL ENGINEERING 



repairing structural damage, and in general 

 restoring the ship to a stable and seaworthy 

 condition. To function as a fighting unit, how- 

 ever, a ship must be more than stable and 

 seaworthy— it must also be able to move. The 

 restoration of vital services is therefore an 

 integral part of damage control, even though it 

 must often be accomplished after fires and 

 flooding have been controlled. 



The restoration of vital services includes 

 making repairs to machinery and piping systems 

 and reestablishing a source of electrical power. 

 The casualty power system, developed as a 

 result of war experience, has proved to be one 

 of the most important damage control devices. 

 The casualty power system is a simple elec- 

 trical distribution system used to maintain a 

 source of electrical supply for the most vital 

 machinery. It is used to supply power only in 

 emergencies. The casualty power system is 

 discussed in chapter 20 of this text. 



2. Evacuation and remanning of exposed sta- 

 tions, as ordered. 



3. Decontamination of personnel. 



4. Detection and prediction of contaminated 

 areas. 



5. Ventilation of contaminated spaces, as 

 soon as the ship is in a clean atmosphere. 



It is obvious that NBC defense is an enor- 

 mously complex and wide-ranging subject, and 

 one in whicii policies and procedures are sub- 

 ject to constant change. The present discussion 

 is limited to a few aspects of NBC defense that 

 are of primary practical importance aboard 

 ship. More detailed information on all aspects 

 of NBC defense may be obtained from chapters 

 9770 and 9900 of the Naval Ships Technical 

 Manual and from Disaster Control (Ashore and 

 Afloat), NavPers 10899-B. 



PROTECTIVE CLOTHING 



DEFENSE AGAINST NBC ATTACK 



The basic guidelines for defensive and pro- 

 tective actions to be taken in the event of nu- 

 clear, biological, or chemical (NBC) attack are 

 set forth in the Nuclear, Biological, and Chemi- 

 cal Defense Bill contained in Shipboard Proce- 

 dures , NWP 50 (effective edition). Aboard ship, 

 the engineer officer is responsible for main- 

 taining this bill and ensuring that it is current 

 and ready for immediate execution. 



NBC defense measures may be divided into 

 two phases: (1) preparatory measures taken in 

 anticipation of attack, and (2) active measures 

 taken immediately following an attack. 



Preparatory measures to be taken before 

 an attack include the following: 



1. Thorough indoctrination and training of 

 ship's force. 



2. Removal of material that may constitute 

 contamination hazards. 



3. Masking of personnel who maybe exposed 

 (and of other personnel, as ordered). 



4. Establishment of ship closure, including 

 closing of CIRCLE WILLIAM fittings. 



5. Donning of protective clothing by exposed 

 personnel, as ordered. 



6. Evasive action by the ship. 



7. Activation of water washdown systems. 

 Active measures to be taken immediately 



following an attack include the following: 



1. Evasive and self-protective action by 

 personnel. 



There are three types of clothing that are 

 useful in NBC defense: permeable, impregnated, 

 protective clothing, foul weather clothing, and 

 ordinary work clothing. 



Permeable protective clothing is supplied to 

 ships in quantities sufficient to outfit 25 percent 

 or more of the ship's compliment. Permeable 

 clothing is olive green in color. A complete 

 outfit includes impregnated socks, gloves, 

 trousers with attached suspenders, and jumper 

 (parka) with attached hood. Permeable clothing 

 is treated with a chemical agent that neutralizes 

 chemical agents; a chlorinated paraffin is used 

 as a binder. The presence of these chemicals 

 gives the permeable clothing a slight odor of 

 chlorine and a slightly greasy or clammy feel. 

 It is believed that the impregnation treatment 

 should remain effective from 5 to 10 years (or 

 possibly longer) if the clothing is stowed in 

 unopened containers in a dry place with cool or 

 warm temperatures and if it is protected from 

 sunlight or daylight. 



Permeable protective clothing should not be 

 worn longer than necessary, especially in hot 

 weather; prolonged wearing may cause a rash 

 to develop where the skin comes in contact with 

 the impregnated material. 



Foul weather clothing of stock issue serves 

 to protect ordinary clothing and the skin against 

 penetration by liquid chemical agents and radio- 

 active particles. It also reduces the amount of 

 vapor that penetrates to the skin. Foul weather 



74 



