Enclosed-Space-Entry-Safe-Entry-Procedures

[MUSIC PLAYING] Entering enclosed spaces in a ship is a fairly common operation, yet accidents happen and injuries occur. There are many fatalities on record. To avoid such incidents, it is important to plan and prepare for the enclosed space entry. In this video, you will learn about the formation of an entry team. Then, we will discuss different types of equipment that are used for entry and rescue operations. You will observe a typical team meeting taking place on a ship before the entry and see the work operations being planned. The preparations before entry require compliance with the company's entry procedures. You will observe these being followed. Finally, you will see that, with good planning and teamwork, working in an enclosed space can be safe and injury-free Entry into an enclosed space should be planned by a team that consists of the master or chief engineer, a safety officer or responsible officer, and the participating members. Firstly, I'll sit down well ahead of the time we'll actually tackle a job and review the procedure, and think about where the equipment is going to come from, how we're going to get it together. Next step is, get together with the first assistant, the responsible person for the job, perhaps the chief mate. A proper risk assessment must be carried out before any enclosed space entry. Your company's enclosed space entry procedures and permit should be discussed and then used as a guideline for making preparations. That permit must be issued before entry, and closed after completion of work. Entry should be made only after the safety officer has signed the permit and it has been approved by the responsible person identified by your company's procedures. The entry supervisor is the officer responsible for determining if acceptable entry conditions are present at the entrance to the enclosed space. He authorizes the entry and signs the permit. Thereafter, he oversees the entry operations, and upon completion, he confirms that all persons have exited the enclosed space. Further entries are then terminated and the space is closed off. Within the confined space procedure, there is a responsible person. The responsible person, in that case, was first assistant engineer. And work was to his satisfaction. He took charge of testing the atmosphere. He took charge of briefing the other workers. He took charge of establishing the sequence of work. He took charge of making sure that required safety equipment was readily accessible and communications were proper. The entry attendant is a person stationed outside the permitted enclosed space. He monitors the authorized entrance, and ensures that all rescue and standby equipment is ready. The attendant maintains constant communication with the team inside. It requires a tank attendant outside the tank, with direct communication to the person inside the tank, or persons. The person outside of the tank, my personal policy is, two people outside of the tank. That way, the attendant never has to leave. If something is required, then the second person is available to tend to that, provide materials and such. Within the tank, two people, minimum. And one typically working, one spotting, helping to maintain communications. Always a buddy system for that. And as the space becomes progressively larger, sometimes you need more than that to maintain a good line of sight, good communications. The entry team should be sized in accordance with the job that needs to be done. Too many members could become a hazard for each other, while too few may not be able to accomplish the work. The rescue team has a very important job, that of reacting quickly in case of any emergency. This team has to be formed at the time of planning the entry. The team members must ensure that rescue equipment is readily available, and they must also be familiar with it's use. To make a safe entry and to carry out the work inside in a safe and efficient manner, it's important to have the right equipment. Also, in case of an emergency, the right rescue equipment must always be kept handy. In this section, we will discuss various items that need to be kept ready for entering an enclosed space. This consists of oxygen analyzer, Explosimeter, and a toxic gas detector. They must have a valid certificate of calibration. The safety officer or the entry supervisor must be familiar with its use. Monitoring must also continue at regular intervals to ensure that no gases are building up, and that oxygen levels are not falling. Effective means of communication include intrinsically-safe walkie-talkies that must be tested for battery strength, as well as signal strength from inside the enclosed space to the area where the attendant and rescue equipment are stationed. You have a problem with communication between both, attendants outside the tank, and the people inside the tank, and with the people inside the tank itself. It can be difficult because of echoing and things like that. Fixed or portable ventilation equipment means either installed fans with ventilation ducts or portable blowers with duct. While using portable blowers, it is particularly important to know that clean air is supplied in, and that there is a separate outlet for the exhaust air. Personal safety equipment includes hard hat, safety shoes, and safety harnesses with lanyard and hooks. Sufficient lighting and standby flashlights with good batteries are required to provide good visibility in working areas. High-visibility barrier tapes should be used to mark out any voids and openings where a person could fall through. Equipment required to maintain safe working conditions must be tagged so that it is not operated or switched off accidentally. Rescue equipment must be well-maintained and should be kept ready outside the enclosed space. This equipment includes harnesses, ropes and tackles, lifelines and heating lines, IMO-approved stretchers, oxygen resuscitators, and self-contained breathing apparatus with spare cylinders. Beyond that, we have required safety equipment that must be readily-available for extracting people if they've had a problem. People tend to think of the problem as being the atmosphere. That's not necessarily the most dangerous problem. A slip, a fall, a normal medical problem that occurs within the tank that could happen to you in your office becomes critical in that type of environment. [WARNING ALERT TONE] All safety and rescue equipment must be ready outside the workplace. The attendant should not have to leave his position to fetch anything. A pre-entry briefing is of vital importance. Now, this briefing should include planning the entry, delegating duties to different team members, and going through the company's procedures for enclosed space entry. Use the permit to work as a checklist to ensure that all steps are covered. After this, the entry is authorized by the master, chief engineer, or responsible person identified in the company's procedures. And I made a quick drawing where I'll explain that to everybody what we're going to do here. During the team meeting, it is a good idea to discuss the layout of the enclosed space and the job that needs to be done. The whole team gets a good snapshot of the work involved and the dangers associated with working in that particular space. Tracking around down there. The division bulkhead is basically a little bigger than, like, a manhole. We're going to feed the hose down and in, right into this first section, right? And what you're going to do is get the M-1 welding pump going. Now-- Equipment that is not commonly-used is brought to the meeting and demonstrated to the team members. This could include special head-mounted lights, breathing masks, personal gas monitors, harnesses, and breathing apparatus. A checklist is used to list the equipment that needs to be collected for the entry. This avoids confusion and any lost time when the entry is being made. The work commencement schedule is then created. Based on this, the ventilation of the enclosed space is planned and started. This should be done well before the entry, so that there is sufficient fresh air for the workers, and that all the gases and fumes are exhausted out. The preparation for entering an enclosed space becomes a lot easier after the pre-entry meeting. All the required equipment has been identified in the permit to work. The entry and rescue team members have been identified and duties assigned. They also know that the entry and rescue equipment is in good working order. The next step is to bring all the equipment to the work site. It must be laid out in an organized way so as to be ready for use. It must also be clearly positioned, and should not become a tripping hazard for workers in the area. Rescue equipment should be collected and located outside the enclosed space. A quick mobilization of the rescue team could mean the difference between life and death. Finally, the enclosed space entry workers must check their own safety equipment. Hard hats must be secured with a chin strap. If the work inside involves working at a high level, then safety harnesses must be worn, with a hook secured to a safe point. Apart from other lighting, the workers should have a personal flashlight with them. Non-skid safety shoes are important for firm footing on the vertical ladders and slippery tank surfaces. [WARNING ALERT TONE] Always follow the procedures and do not take shortcuts. Go through the permit to work. Having planned the work, having explained the duties to all the participants, getting all the equipment ready at the site, and following the proper procedure, locking out and tagging out all related machinery, and monitoring the atmosphere inside, it is now time to make the entry. With proper preparation, the entry should proceed safely. The workers are well-briefed and well-equipped. . If there are problems, then the rescue team is ready to move quickly and save lives. Working in an enclosed space can be a dangerous operation. It is for this reason that companies have introduced procedures and guidelines to avoid accidents. It is a team operation. Team members must know their duties and carry them out diligently. The safety of the entry team depends on them. [MUSIC PLAYING]