There has been one recorded inci- dent where a member of crew attempted to stop a door closing with his foot, re- sulting in a severed limb. Whilst only the incidents involving loss of or damage to vessels make the head- lines, there are occasional accidents with the watertight doors, involving ship crew. The damage was very limited, as the compartments were iso- lated with the watertight doors shut and locked. Nevertheless, it is a sight that no one would wish to see again and hopefully we will not have to.Ī semisubmersible rig under building suffered from a technical fault last sum- mer, leaving one unfinished, open pon- toon submerged. In due course the reports from the incident will indicate what role the watertight doors will have played in the capsizing. The recent Costa Concordia incident has been a devastating eye-opener pro- pelling new attention to the safety sys- tem, including the water tight doors on board. How well do you look after your safety system? A WAKE UP CALL Unfortunately, this potentially lifesaving equipment is some- times ignored and turned into a safety hazard. Watertight compartments are a critical part of the safety system and must not simply be present but working, and pref- erably working well. There is a risk that modern vessel opera- tors, equipped with highly sophisticated safety systems on board, could develop the same attitude. Regarding the Titanic, the rather pre- sumptuous claim was made that not even God himself could sink the ship, due to the impressive safety measures installed. With the recent centennial commemoration of the Titanic disaster in mind, simply having watertight compartments is in itself of little use when water-integrity is not maintained. Ever since designing the Titanic, dividing vessels in watertight compartments has been an essential idea for a safe voyage.