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CONFINED SPACES
Confined spaces
1 Confined spaces, an introduction ...................................................... 5
2 The Confined Spaces Regulations 1997 .......................................... 7
2.1 Avoiding entry into confined spaces ......................................... 8
2.2 Safe system of work ................................................................. 8
2.3 Emergency procedures ........................................................... 10
3 Typical confined space problems .................................................... 10
3.1 Hazards presented by gases, fumes and vapours ................. 10
3.2 Oxygen deficiency ................................................................... 11
3.3 Fire, explosion and other hazards .......................................... 12
4 Reducing confined space hazaards ................................................ 12
Syllabus coverage
1.3.10 The main hazards and safe working practices associated with
confined spaces; the measures necessary to comply with The
Confined Spaces Regulations 1997
Required reading
Confined spaces
Confined spaces
ventilation ducting
plant rooms
compartments of a ship
... no doubt you could add many more examples to this list.
Just some examples of confined space fatalities (there are about
20 per year) include:
Confined spaces
The Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974; section 2 of this
Act (to which we will fequently return) requires employers to
protect employees against risks to safety and health, and to
provide safe systems of work etc. Implicitly, this will cover
confined spaces although they are not mentioned as such.
The COSHH Regulations deal with the prevention and control
of exposure to hazardous substances in any work environment
including, obviously, confined spaces.
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations
1999 require that the employer undertakes an assessment of
the risks in order to determine the measures necessary for
safety ... MHSWR requires a consideration of:
Confined spaces
levels of competence
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2.1 Avoiding entry into confined spaces
This might be achieved by using remotely controlled equipment,
for example, it may be practical for the inspection and cleaning of
some sewers and other confined spaces.
An possible alternative approach might be to unconfine the
space, so to speak*. It may be possible to remove wall panels
and so on; in the case of, say, ship building activities it may thus
be possible, by careful planning, to undertake some of the fittingout before spaces become confined.
2.2 Safe system of work
A safe system of work must provide a plan that covers all aspects
ot the work - entry and egress, sequence of operations, environmental factors, PPE, and so on.
When an assessment identifies that the hazards to be faced are
particularly serious, then a permit to work will be required; you
can be safe to assume that for confined space work, permits to
work will almost always be necessary.
As you will see later in your studies (section 4.3.6), other common
examples of permits include:
electrical permits
You will appreciate that before a permit to work can be authorised, a permit to enter the confined space may be required, so
enabling inspections to take place prior to work being undertaken.
Confined spaces
In the case of confined space working, the permit to work provides:
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2.3 Emergency procedures
These should form an integral part of the planning:
communications methods
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Confined spaces
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Confined spaces
3.3 Fire, explosion and other hazards
A fire or explosion in a confined space represents a very serious
threat and a range of precautions will be necessary in situations
where such problems may arise; these precautions include:
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