MCT Inspections – Multi Cable Transit

 Multiple Cable Transits (MCT’s) despite being “Critical Safety Equipment” and required by Classification Societies and Statutory Authorities are often overlooked in the industry. This critical safety equipment is utilized for multiple purposes:

• Compartment Watertight Integrity
• Compartment Fire Barrier Integrity
• Hazardous Area Zone Integrity
• Shock and Vibration Proof of Transits
• Protection of Cables and Damage from Chaffing
• Sound Proofing Compartments

These characteristics prevent flooding and fires from spreading from adjacent spaces.

MCT’s are required by Classification Societies and Statutory Authorities, which is inspected during their various inspections. MCT integrity and maintenance has become an important focus in recent years due to several incidences of vessels near sinking and new legislation is to be introduced to maintain registers.

Globally there is a profound issue where vendor guidelines for the assembly packing of MCT’s have not been adhered to. Worse still, older installations MCT’s have been compromised by service or maintenance personnel. Some examples include:

• Not packed/assembled correctly installed from the outset
• Blocks inadvertently removed for more cable or piping
• Holes drilled in the blocks
• Identification removed
• General inappropriate maintenance
• No accurate register exists

Proper management of MCT transit blocks is crucial in order to significantly mitigate the risks of the following real hazards:

• Cross compartment flooding
• Fire
• The spread of hazardous gas leakage

Part of an effective management plan should include an MCT survey, that details where every MCT is located, along with its specifications and last inspection date.