Question 60 ONC02 - Second Mate/Third Mate Unlimited Tonnage

The Correct Answer is B **Why Option B ("Plugging the drains and scuppers") is correct:** Drains and scuppers are openings located along the deck edges that allow water (such as rainwater or washdown water) to flow off the vessel and into the sea. If a small oil spill occurs on the deck, plugging these drains and scuppers is the direct and immediate action required to contain the spilled oil on the deck, preventing it from flowing overboard and causing pollution. Once contained, the oil can be safely cleaned up using absorbent materials. **Why the other options are incorrect:** * **A) Plugging the sounding pipes:** Sounding pipes are used to measure the level of liquids (like fuel or water) in tanks. Plugging these pipes has no effect on preventing a deck spill from reaching the sea and is irrelevant to the containment process. * **C) Closing the lids on the vents:** Vents (or air pipes) are necessary for the proper breathing of tanks. Closing the lids/caps prevents water from entering the tanks but has no function in stopping oil from spilling off the deck surface. * **D) Driving wooden plugs into the vents:** This is essentially the same as option C but describes a potentially damaging and incorrect method. Vents are necessary for safety and function, and plugging them, especially with wooden plugs, does not help contain a deck spill.