The learning objectives of this chapter are to establish where the
responsibilities for an adequate standard of training lie to understand
the aspects of enclosed and confined space entry with which an involved
individual should be thoroughly familiar and to list a series of principles on
which to base on board and classroom training
it is the ship owners or ship operators responsibility to establish safety
procedures and their application is governed through the safety management
system an integral part of this application is the provision of training
employers should provide any necessary training instruction and information to
employees in order to ensure that the regulations pertaining to entry into
dangerous enclosed and confined spaces are complied with this should include
recognition of the circumstances and activities likely to lead to the
presence of a dangerous atmosphere identification of the hazards associated
with entry into dangerous spaces and the precautions to be taken the use and
maintenance of equipment and clothing required for entry into dangerous spaces
guidance and instruction for drills on rescue from dangerous spaces the
appropriate personnel should also receive training in risk assessment
employees are legally and contractually required to participate in safety
training that means they must attend scheduled training sessions read and
understand applicable safety manuals circulars and other safety related
material and actively engage in the safety system on board the vessel they
will also be required to attend at sure based safety courses as dictated by
their national administration and company practice such an attitude is
also in keeping with the practice of good seamanship and is a common-sense
approach to safe working practice it may also save your life
the safety management system will include a planned program of training to
be followed on board the ship and the master is responsible for ensuring that
it is properly adhered to while a certain amount of training can be
considered generic in nature this is not the case where safety equipment is
involved you should always ensure that the appropriate instruction manuals are
available for the particular equipment in use on board your vessel the degree
of realism employed in safety drills is important a careful and safe balance
must be achieved between duplicating realistic conditions and placing
personnel unnecessarily at risk if practicing rescue from an enclosed or
confined space it must be in a safe condition for entry such drills should
never be conducted in an unsafe or suspect atmosphere under any
circumstances or precautions normally applicable to
enclosed or confined space entry should be in force as well as additional
measures to ensure that the drill follows the planned form at a risk
assessment must be carried out prior to holding a drill that will involve
personnel practicing in such circumstances
rescue from the enclosed or confined space is a difficult and demanding task
and requires personnel to enter an environment in which someone else has
already become a casualty the rescue team must prepare by way of
exercises and planning so that they are prepared for any emergency this should
also involve understudies for each role in case a member of the team is actually
the casualty inside the space in particular the rescue team should be
thoroughly familiar with breathing apparatus resuscitation equipment
harnesses and stretchers hoisting equipment communication procedures and
potential hazards in specific areas of the ship
there are some very clear bullet points on which to build a lesson on entering
enclosed or confined spaces these are again generic points and specific items
of importance directly related to the type of vessel or cargo should be added
as applicable if in doubt stay out the greatest risk is from the atmosphere
inside the space don't take shortcuts check and continue to check poor
planning leads to poor performance think it through write it down and
follow the plan work as a team a life may be at risk look after the equipment
you never know when you may need it know how to operate the equipment ask
questions and practice
a superintendent was visiting a vessel to carry out an annual inspection as
part of the inspection used to enter and examine the condition of the ballast
tanks the vessel had a double skin and the ballast tanks extended from the
double bottom around and up the sides of the ship all had a centerline Division
thus creating port and starboard tanks access was achieved through manhole
covers on the main deck close to the ship's side
the ship's management team were prepared for the inspection and the chief officer
had emptied and ventilated a number of tanks prior to arrival alongside
enclosed space entry procedures as detailed in the company safety
management system were being satisfactorily followed the
superintendent entered a number 3 starboard ballast tank accompanied by
the deck cadet an a/b was detailed as watchman at
the after manhole cover and a mechanical air driven ventilation fan was running
on the forward manhole cover both the superintendent and the deck cadet were
carrying portable flashlights and the deck cadet had a portable radio which
put him in contact with both the officer of the watch and the chief officer the
superintendent also carried a camera which he was using to make a
photographic record of the inspection
the vessel had recently landed moderately heavily against the corner of
a berth and there was an indentation in the shell plating in this tank as well
as a damaged stiffener the two men descended vertically partway down the
tank and then moved forward longer along the toodle stringer to the location of
the damaged quite close to the forward bulkhead which divided at number three
starboard ballast tank from number to starboard directly forward there was
some noise from the fan above which also blocked out any additional light that
might have been available through the open forward manhole cover the
restricted width of the space meant that the two men had to move in file
the superintendent leading when they reached the indentation the
superintendent brought out his camera and took a few shots from aft holding
the flashlight and cameras together and playing the light beam onto the damaged
area he then turned handed his flashlight to the deck cadet and
instructed him to direct the beams from both flashlights in a similar manner
while he took a few more pictures
the superintendent then moved a couple of meters forward all the time facing
aft until he was ahead of the damage he raised the camera to his eye and framed
his picture he could not quite include all the detail he needed so he eased his
way further forward at this point he fell backwards through a lightning hole
in the stringer he managed to catch himself as he fell but suffered three
fractured ribs bruising and cuts to both shins and forearms and severe shock
neither man had seen the danger as the flashlights were being used to highlight
the area of damage the superintendent was moving backwards and was between the
deck cadet and the lightning hold thus obscuring any view that he might have
had the nature of the space meant that it was impractical to rig any kind of
defensive barrier around every hole in every stringer but the superintendent
should have been alert to the dangers presented by the structure