Utilization of root cause failure analysis in the investigation of marine deck fitting fallures

摘要

Cracking was discovered in the openings of the marine deck cargo tie down fittings otherwise known as cloverleafs, on ships under construction. There was a distinct possibility that these cracks could propagate through the fittings and into the strength deck plating, affecting hull integrity. With over 14,000 fittings installed on each ship, the appearance of these paproximately 400 creacks at the mid-ship area of the main and lower decks raised production and operational concerns. This paper will discuss the successful application of a Root Casue Failure Anlaysis (RCFA) metodology employed by a Corrective Action Team (CAT) established to solve the problem. Through their efforts and the systematic application of RCFA, various failure hypotheses were validated or disounted and consensus was achieved on the appropriate corrective action.