Enclosed-Space-Entry-Hazard-Awareness
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Anyone who has
worked at sea would
have heard many stories about
people who entered enclosed
spaces without
taking precautions
and died as a
result. The lessons
learned have been discussed
in many training sessions.
But accidents continue
to take place.
It's impossible to know what
these victims were thinking
before entering such spaces.
But they must have
considered the workplace
to be safer entry.
After all, it looks all right.
So what could possibly
go wrong inside?
Before you enter
an enclosed space,
you must know the dangers
of enclosed spaces.
You must follow safe
entry procedures.
And you must be prepared
for rescue operations
should an emergency occur.
This program is about the
dangers of enclosed spaces.
First, we will talk about
different types of spaces
that are found on ships.
Then, we will discuss
the types of hazards
found in enclosed spaces.
The most serious hazard is not
having safe air to breathe.
We will also discuss
how we can detect
hazards in enclosed spaces.
Dangerous gases may be
invisible or odorless.
It is important to test the
atmosphere in a correct manner.
Finally, we give tips
about protecting ourselves
from the hazards
in enclosed spaces.
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On board ships like this
one, an enclosed space
is usually defined as any
compartment that is confined
by bulkhead and a deckhead.
It is normally cut off
from the atmosphere.
It has limited or
restricted means of entry.
And it could be occupied
by solid or liquid cargoes,
ballast, or machinery.
A confined space is a space
that not only is tight,
but it's one we
don't enter normally.
And I think that's a
big-- because there's
tight places that we
crawl into all the time.
And I would not put those
on a list of confined spaces
necessarily.
But ones we don't
normally enter that we're
going to have to take
extra considerations prior
to entering.
It is often the responsibility
of the chief engineer
to make sure that enclosed space
entry procedures are followed
correctly.
The ventilator will
be on the deck.
And then he will take a trunk
from the ventilator all the way
to the bottom of the tank.
Practically speaking, any
tank or enclosed compartment
that has been cut off
from outside fresh air
for a period of time should
be regarded as dangerous.
Entering such spaces
without taking precautions
has caused many serious
injuries and deaths.
The dangers are rarely visible.
The calm and quiet
inside an enclosed space
has tempted many seamen
to take a shortcut
and enter without following
the procedures-- often
with a tragic ending.
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Any space with no ventilation
may be dangerous to enter.
Always test the air inside.
The dangers associated
with enclosed spaces
are not all the same.
Some dangers, such as toxic
fumes or lack of oxygen,
are easily detectable
with the proper equipment.
But injuries may also be caused
by lack of safety equipment,
such as inadequate
lighting or lack
of personal protective equipment
like hard hats and safety
shoes.
Due to frequent and easy access
it is common for a crew member
to overlook the
possible dangers when
entering spaces, such as
pump rooms, paint lockers,
cargo holds, and
other compartments
with restricted ventilation.
For example, if I paint locker
ventilation system fails,
dangerous fumes may build
up inside the closed space.
Some spaces, such as chain
lockers, the duct keel,
or coffer dams, may be sealed
for long periods of time.
Also, cargo holds are sealed
while the vessel is at sea.
During that time the oxygen
levels maybe depleted
or dangerous gases created
by chemical reactions
taking place inside
these enclosed spaces.
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Be aware of spaces that have
been closed for a long time.
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The hazards of enclosed
spaces can broadly
be categorized as air hazards;
engulfment hazards; slips,
trips, and fall hazards.
The condition of the air
is the most common hazard
that seamen face when
entering an enclosed space.
This may be due
to lack of oxygen,
accumulation of flammable gases
and vapors, or toxic fumes.
Oxygen deficiency,
or lack of oxygen,
can occur through
rusting of steel
in a freshwater or ballast water
tank that has been isolated
from the outside atmosphere.
Some types of cargoes that
can cause oxygen deficiency
are forest products, like
packaged lumber and logs,
certain grains, iron and
steel, natural fibers like jute
and hemp, and oil seeds.
Oxygen depletion can also
occur in cargo holds,
which contain cargoes prone
to self-heating or spontaneous
ignition, such as coal.
Normal air contains 21%
oxygen. Between 19.5% and 15%,
your coordination
may be impaired.
And you cannot do
strenuous work.
Between 15% and 10%, it would
be hard for you to breathe.
And your lips would turn blue.
Between 10% and 8%, you
would feel nauseated or sick
to your stomach.
And you may even faint.
If you spend eight minutes below
8%, you could go into a coma
and die.
In 2001, a welder
entered the hull
of a barge in British Columbia
and became unconscious
in the oxygen
deficient atmosphere.
Four other workers entered
the hull to rescue the worker.
All four rescuers also
became unconscious.
The welder died.
And the other workers
barely survived.
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Do not enter any space
with less than 21% oxygen
or a level as required by
national administrations
without proper safety equipment,
such as a self-contained
breathing apparatus.
Flammable gases are another
air hazard in enclosed spaces.
Application of paint
inside an enclosed space
traps the vapors from
thinners and solvents.
Paint lockers, where open paint
cans and thinners are stored,
can build up vapors if the
ventilation gets cut off.
Explosive hydrocarbon
vapors and gases
may be found in fuel oil
tanks and pump rooms or around
faulty oxyacetylene
welding equipment.
The hydrocarbon content
should not be more than 1%
lower exposure limit, or
LEL, for purpose of entry.
The third important air hazard
is the danger of toxic fumes.
One type of toxic fume
that may be found on board
is hydrogen sulfide in
sewage, oil, and bunker tanks.
Carbon monoxide
or carbon dioxide
can be found around welding
work or enclosed cargo
holds loaded with coal.
For purpose of entry, there
should not be more than 50%
of the occupational
exposure limit, or OEL,
of any toxic vapors.
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Having sufficient
oxygen is not enough.
Always check for flammable
gases and toxic fumes too.
Another serious
hazard associated
with entering an enclosed
space is the danger
of accidentally being
engulfed by liquids or solids
in the space.
This may happen when equipment
associated with the space
is accidentally activated.
To prevent engulfment
accidents, it is very important
to follow proper lockout
and tag out procedures.
Any ballast or cargo pump that
could flood a compartment must
be tagged do not operate.
On the other hand,
forced ventilation fans
supplying fresh, clean air to
the compartment must be tagged
do not switch off.
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Follow lockout
tag out procedures
for all equipment that could
harm the workers in enclosed
spaces.
Finally, slips, trips,
and falls are more serious
when they occur in
enclosed spaces because
of the difficulty and hazards
associated with rescuing
an injured crew member.
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Testing the air inside
an enclosed space
should be carried out
in a prescribed sequence
before entering the space.
Testing should be
started with ventilation
stopped for at least 10
minutes prior to the test.
Ventilation should
continue during the period
that the space is occupied
and during temporary breaks.
Before reentry after a
break, the atmosphere
should be retested.
In the event of failure
of the ventilation system,
any persons in the space
should leave immediately.
First, check the oxygen level
with an oxygen analyzer.
Next, check for the presence
of flammable gases and vapors
with an explosimeter.
Lastly, test for toxic gases
to determine their danger.
Due to differing
densities of gases,
testing must be carried out at
upper, middle, and lower levels
of an enclosed space.
Gases such as ammonia,
hydrogen, and methane
are lighter than air and tend to
rise to the top of the enclosed
space.
Carbon monoxide and methanol
can be found at all levels,
while carbon dioxide,
gasoline vapors, and chlorine
are heavy and tend to
settle down in low spots.
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Any abnormal smell should
be a cause for concern
and should be investigated.
However, do bear in mind
that some dangerous gases,
such as carbon monoxide,
do not have any smell.
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Entry into enclosed spaces must
be a well-planned operation.
The air inside must
be well ventilated,
using blowers and ducting
that supply fresh air
to the most remote parts
of the enclosed space.
The exhaust air
should be discharged
to the outside
atmosphere and must not
affect the attendant
outside the enclosed space.
Prior to entry,
tests must confirm
that the air is breathable
and does not have
any flammable or toxic gases.
We do not rely on
breathing apparatus
for entry in normal work.
The space has to be breathable.
Beyond that, we have
required safety equipment
that must be readily available
for extracting people
if they've had a problem.
Complacency is one of the
biggest causes of accidents
in enclosed spaces.
Shortcuts, such as not following
proper entry procedures,
lead to accidents.
No matter how many times
workers have been in and out
of an enclosed compartment,
the proper procedures
must be followed.
Study the company enclosed
space procedures manual.
And plan the work accordingly.
Use the right equipment.
And make sure it's
in good condition.
Finally, stay alert.
Now if you find someone lying
motionless in an enclosed
space, do not rush in to help
without taking precautions.
Raise the alarm.
Get the rescue equipment and
the rescue team together.
Follow procedure.
Failure to do so will only
result in more casualties.
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