The learning objectives of this chapter are to know the steps to take
immediately before entry into an enclosed or confined space takes place
to realize the limitations of certain items of equipment associated with
enclosed or confined space entry and to understand the duties of the dedicated
watchman
the risk assessment leads to a plan part of which establishes the preparations
that need to be made prior to entry taking place these may require time and
effort well beforehand but certain tasks need to be undertaken closer to the time
of entry and indeed many of them will continue as entry takes place
prior to entry a briefing must take place in some cases such as routine tank
entry on a tanker for mopping after cleaning and venting the chief officer
will commonly fulfill the roles of both the competent person and the responsible
officer it may only be necessary for the bosun Foreman or senior rating to
discuss the task with the chief officer and this may simply take place at the
morning work meeting this is provided all relevant information is then relayed
to those assigned to entry information at this type of meeting will be standard
and basic for a briefing on a larger one-off or extraordinary event more
important should be assigned to the briefing and all those involved should
attend with more detailed information being exchanged
the purposes of the briefing are to identify the space to be entered to
identify the responsible person to discuss the risk assessment and
resulting plan with particular emphasis on emergency procedures to explain the
precautions already taken and in place to make those involved aware of the
hazards and the actions they must take to minimize the risks and to give those
involved the opportunity to ask questions and provide additional input
the officer on watch should be informed of the details of the entry operation
including the space to be entered the purpose of the entry any associated
systems that have been isolated the intended duration of the entry and the
identity of the responsible officer other personnel such as the duty
engineer should be notified as required those crew members who would form the
rescue team should be aware that enclosed space entry is taking place
just in case they are required in an emergency it may also be that the
company requires a notification in special circumstances as indicated in
the safety management system if the enclosed space entry is taking place
alongside notification may also have to be made to the terminal or port
authorities access to and within the space should be
adequate clean and clear personnel should be briefed on any specific access
hazard identified in the risk assessment and due precautions such as extra safety
lines and additional reporting at specific points should be implemented
if additional illumination has been identified as required then this should
be prepared this may include removing additional
manhole covers and lits installing temporary lighting and or issuing
portable flashlights flashlights should be provided as emergency backup in the
event of failure of temporary electrical or air lighting or for use in dark
corners that are shielded by Framing whenever possible portable flashlights
should be able to be clipped to a harness or belt in order to keep both
hands-free if applicable they should be of an intrinsically safe design
no source of ignition should be taken or put into the space unless the master or
responsible officer is satisfied that it is safe to do so
this will most commonly be a part of a hot work task and all additional
precautions with that operation should be taken
it is essential that exposure to any dangerous products is minimized or even
eliminated altogether by seeking alternative solutions in any event the
products must be thoroughly researched as part of the risk assessment including
reference to the applicable material safety data sheets if applicable
personnel should use the appropriate personal protective clothing and
equipment click on the equipment for more information
personal protective clothing such as chemical splash suits gas tight suits
rubber boots harnesses goggles and gloves if to be used in the entry
operation should we first visually checked for cleanliness and condition if
any item is found to be damaged it should not be used and should be
reported to the responsible officer the damaged item should be withdrawn from
service and either repaired or properly disposed of as appropriate under no
circumstances should it be returned to storage with serviceable equipment
when using self-contained breathing apparatus the following precautions
should be observed the pressure gauge must be checked before use and register
an adequate working pressure the operation of the audible low-pressure
alarm should be tested the facemask must be checked and adjusted to create and
maintain an airtight seal the harness straps should be adjusted to a firm yet
comfortable fit
when using airline breathing apparatus the following precautions should be
observed the facemask must be checked and adjusted to create and maintain an
airtight seal the working pressure must be checked before use the emergency
supply must be checked the operation of the audible low pressure alarm should be
tested the path of the airline should be checked kinks and twists in the line
must be cleared and it should be protected from any sharp edges or other
projections the length of the air hose should not exceed 90 meters a trained
and competent person must be assigned to control the airline pressure and must at
all times be alert to the need to change over to the emergency supply should
normal working pressure not be maintained
in all cases rescue and resuscitation equipment should be positioned ready for
use at the entrance to the space rescue equipment means breathing
apparatus together with fully charged spare cylinders of air lifelines and
rescue harnesses and flashlights or lamps approved for use in a flammable
atmosphere if appropriate a means of hoisting an incapacitated person from
the confined space may be required when necessary and where practicable a rescue
harness should be worn by all personnel entering the space to facilitate
recovery in the event of an accident the use of harnesses and lifelines is
dictated by the procedures outlined in the company safety management system and
the nature of the particular operation they are not universally popular and can
sometimes be restricting and cumbersome but without doubt if a casualty is
already wearing a harness then precious seconds are saved in the event of an
emergency
the number of personnel entering should be limited to those who need to work in
the space in other words those not needing to actually go inside the space
should remain outside and not be unnecessarily exposed to the hazards of
an enclosed or confined space the enclosed space entry procedures as
outlined in the safety management system should be implemented those personnel
entering the space must register with the watchman who tallies them into the
space this will normally involve handing over a personal tag or signing a tally
board in this way it is clearly known how many persons have entered the space
and their identity information that is critical in the event of an emergency
under some systems the watchman may also be required to report this information
to the officer on watch or the responsible officer
at least one watchman or attendant should be detailed to remain at the
entrance to the space while it is occupied this person must be assigned
solely to this task and fully briefed as to his duties and responsibilities
including monitoring the activity inside reporting and especially the action he
is to take in the event of an emergency he must not leave or pass the duty to
someone else unless instructed to do so by the responsible officer
a system and format of communication should be established and agreed upon
between any person entering the space and the watchman in particular emergency
signals must be clearly understood the watchman must also be able to
communicate at any time with the responsible officer and the officer on
watch a backup system of communication such as tugging on a lifeline flashing a
light or hand signals should also be agreed upon prior to entry
the risk assessment should have identified whether entry into and
through an enclosed space with breathing apparatus is possible any difficulty of
movement within any part of the space or any problems if any incapacitated person
has to be removed from the space as a result of breathing apparatus all
lifelines or rescue equipment being used should be considered and any risks
minimized
lifelines should be long enough for the purpose and capable of being firmly
attached to the harness but the wearer should be able to detach them easily
should they become tangled
the Sapphire was a chemical tanker of 14,000 and two deadweight tons built in
1997 she had loaded 16 parcels of chemical products at US Gulf ports to
being discharged at two ports in Turkey and the remainder for discharge in Haifa
Israel the ship sail from Amberleigh in Turkey on the afternoon of the 23rd of
April 1999 bound for Haifa after clearing the port it was planned
to clean number to center tank which had contained linear alkyl benzene and
number six Center tank that had contained HMD hexamethylenediamine
solid number six Center had been purged with nitrogen prior to loading in the US
Gulf although now diluted the tank still contained a mixture of nitrogen and air
and a nitrogen tag was attached to the lid the cleaning plan was discussed
between the master chief officer and the pump man and involved machine washing
both tanks for forty five minutes with salt water followed by a 20-minute
freshwater rinse then leaving them venting overnight proud to mopping the
next morning the washing was carried out by the pump man and three crew members
from sixteen forty five hours until dinner at 1800 hours over the meal the
pump man dismissed the sailors who had been assisting with the operation and
then returned to the deck with the crew boy to rig the ventilation equipment
at approximately 1950 hours the chief officer was doing his deck rounds and
noticed that the lid on number six Center tank was fully open this was
unusual as the lid was normally just cracked during venting to keep a slight
overpressure in the tank looking inside he saw the deck boy lying
on the first platform of the access ladder approximately four meters down
into the tank he was wearing a filter mask was lying partly on his back and
slumped against the rails the pump man was further inside the tank and slumped
over the top safety hoop on the next ladder down with only his feet being
trapped under the platform stopping him falling to the tank bottom he
immediately ran after trying to raise the attention of the bridge personnel by
waving his torch the officers and crews recreation rooms were just inside the
accommodation door and the chief officer summoned all personnel present returning
to deck without actually setting off any general alarm signal breathing apparatus
and other equipment was quickly gathered and brought to the hatch of number-6
center tank
the chief officer was the first person to enter the tank but only wearing an
emergency escape breathing device that he had collected from the manifold
safety store he tried to lift the deck boy but this was not possible though he
did check for a pulse he could not detect anything at this time the third
engineer who had taken a self-contained breathing apparatus from the co2 room
station aft into the tank to assist unfortunately the chief officers low
pressure alarm now went off and he had to exit the tank the third engineer
momentarily came out to collect a safety harness and rope to attach to the deck
boy and the second engineer who was also by now equipped in an SCBA entered the
tank with him the restricted location the casualties
was proving a problem for the would-be rescuers and it was obvious that there
was not enough room for them all said the second engineer left to assist from
outside the third engineer attached the harness and the rope around the deck boy
and he was lifted out by the crew on deck the rope was then transferred to
the pump man and he was also pulled to the deck with one man guiding the body
from below
attempts were made to revive both of the casualties but without success the
experience of the pump met the presence of a nitrogen tag on the lid and the
rigging of the ventilation equipment all point to the pump man understanding that
the atmosphere inside the tank was hazardous the deck boy had only been on
board for a month and it is reasonable to assume that he simply followed the
more senior man